
"rARY of CONGRbSS 

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INDIA 
A PROBLEM 



Present Conditions. — What Has Been 

Done. — New India, or what 

OF THE Future ? 



\A/I1_BUR B. STOVETR, 

Mixsionr,!-,/ at B,iJsni\ India. 



F"iRS-r Edition 



Elgin, III., U. S. A.: 
BRETHREN PUBLISHING HOUSE, 



THE LiLRARY OF 
CONGRESS, 

Two Copies Received 

JAN 5 1903 

(I Copyright tntry 

(fLASS '^ XXc. No. 

^ '^ ^ Z 
COPY B, 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year igo2, by 

BRETHREN PUBLISHIiNG HOUSE, 

In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C. 



All Rights Reserved. 



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. 8 To 
MARY, 
My Faithful ^^ATife. 

Praise the Lord in that 
-we are 

Hot unequally yoked together. 



J\ 



X^I^EZFJ^OIB. 



Several years ago I began collecting material rela- 
tive to present conditions in India. The more I noted 
common, every-day occurrences, the more I became 
convinced that it is just such things that our people 
at home are most interested in. It is by many little 
incidents that we can understand the nature of the 
life through which these happenings come. 

The quotations at the top of the pages have been 
arranged as far as possible so as to be in harmony 
with the subject matter of the page, or else in pairs 
with a striking similarity or contrast. On the right 
are Bible references. On the left are quotations from 
the sacred books of the East. These latter references 
have been gathered from the publication of the Ma- 
dras Christian Literature Society. 

In the chapters on the several missions, both for 
facts and for illustrations, the literature of those mis- 
sions has been freely drawn upon. This was done 
in order that the statements might be thoroughly re- 
liable with reference to the work, while differences 
in faith and practice are not referred to. In all cases 
asked, the mission secretaries gave permission to use 
their material as I have indicated. 



Vlll PREFACE. 

For chapter 6, Irving's " Life of Mahomet " and St. 
Clair Tisdele's " Rehgion of the Crescent " have been 
sources of information. 

For chapter 5, I have referred frequently to Prof. 
Tilbe's " Pali Buddhism," and the books of the Madras 
Christian Literature Societ}'. Chapters i, 3, 4 and 7 
were written mostly in India. Sitting on a camp-stool, 
in a tent, under a big Banyan tree, chapter 3 was writ- 
ten, and is in part a description of the small village 
near which we had pitched our tent for a week while 
on a preaching tour in December, 1900. 

Chapter 8 was begun about 5 years ago. 

The remaining chapters were written while at home 
on furlough this year, — a period of 340 days, which 
closes to-day as we sail away again to the work we 
love. 

My prayer is that this book, now complete, may be 
abundantly blessed of God in creating, arousing, and 
stimulating healthful missionary sentiment, which 
looks forward to nothing short of the Gospel to the 
whole v/ide world. 

WILBUR B. STOVER. 

October 28, IQ02. 



Preface, vii 

Chapter I. 
India Under the British Flag, I5 

Chapter II. 
Where the People Live, 36 

Chapter III. 
An Indian Village, 41 

Chapter IV. 
Parsees, The, 52 

Chapter V. 
Buddhists, The, 67 

Chapter VI. 
Mahomedans, The, 80 

Chapter VII. 
Hindoos, The, 100 

Chapter VIII. 
Materials for a Comparison, 165 



X CONTENTS. 

JE'JL.T^T II. 

Chapter IX. 
Calcutta, 169 

Chapter X. 
Judson and the Karens •. 176 

Chapter XI. 
The American Board Missions 186 

Chapter XII. 
Madras 196 

Chapter XIII. 
The Lone Star Mission 202 

Chapter XIV. 
What One Woman Can do 211 

Chapter XV. 

Bombay, 219 

« 

Chapter XVI. 
The Methodists in North India, 226 

Chapter XVII. 
The Church of England Missions 235 

Chapter XVIII. 
The Church of Scotland [Missions 245 

Chapter XIX. 
The Basle Mission, German Lutheran 254 



CONTENTS. XI 

Chapter XX. 
The Friends, The Brethren, and The Mennonites, 261 

Chapter XXI. 
Other Work and Other Workers, 275 

Chapter XXII. 
Famines and the Orphans, 284 

Chapter XXIII. 
A Lost Opportunity, 204 

:PJ^E.T III. 

Chapter XXIV. 
New India, or. What of the Future ? 299 

Glossary, Appendices and Index, 336 




^k^.. 



INDIA; A PROBLEM 




INDI^; ^ F^ROBLEIVE. 



RART ON 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 
Chapter One. 

" In the beginning, God." — Gen. i : i. 

NDIA, beautiful and sin- 
ful, exalted yet degraded, 
rich and yet poor, enlight- 
ened yet ignorant, over-re- 
ligious and yet without Reli- 
gion, gods everywhere and yet 
'**""* without God, husband often a 
university graduate whose little 
wife can not read, with the most 
bigoted pride and the most com- 
plete self-renunciation, with its princes and rajas and 
lepers and beggars, the land of opposites where ex- 
tremes constantly meet ; India, often considered a con- 
tinent within itself, to any one interested in human- 
ity, presents, for both study and labor, perhaps the 
greatest field in the world. 

Every school boy with a geography knows that the 
strong hand of the Briton holds the reins of Govern- 
ment in India, and a good Government it is that Eng- 
land gives to the people, far better than the Indians 

15 




i6 



INDIA ; A PROBLE]\[. 



" I laud Agni, the great high priest, god, 
The herald, lavishest of wealth." — Rig-\'eda i: i: i. 

could themselves maintain. Three things may be 
said of Government in India, and these three points 
every native will at once concede. She levies heavy 
taxes and awards impartial justice and encourages 
progress. 

As to taxes, land is taxed, houses are taxed, income 
is taxed. ^ A man getting $50 a month must pay $12 
a year income tax. But one receiving 
under $14 a month wages is exempt 
from income tax. This, of course, ex- 
empts the large majority of India's peo- 
ple. Salt is taxed at the rate of 2,000 
per cent, dried fish are taxed, stores are 
taxed. The tax on salt, however, is per- 
haps the only form of revenue paid by 
many millions. Ordinarily when a man 
builds a house on land suited to culti- 
x^yation, and classed as such, he must get 
i^fc. i%.Bfi r.jpermission from Government and pay 
/^r^.^^^ the fine ; then he finds that the sand f j'om 
^It- X..^ the sea-shore is taxed, the stone from 
the river-bed or quarry is taxed, and 
the timber from the mountain is taxed. 
Romans, the English are great be- 
jood roads. \\'hen the English came 
to India there were no good roads, but now 
thev have thousands of miles of macadamized roads, 
that are good even when the rainfall is ten inch- 
es in ten hours, as I have seen it. But tliese 

' A native in reviewing my AISS. added, "And everything down to 
the patience of man is taxed." 




" Exempt." 

Like the 
licvers in ; 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 



17 



"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." — Psalms 33: 12. 

roads are not without toll gates. The average 
rate of two cents a day is charged for a cart pass- 
ing through. The privilege of collecting this toll is 
auctioned off to the highest bidder. And for the mon- 
ey there is in it, liquor licenses are also granted. In 
Surat CoUectorate alone the revenue from these licens- 
es last year was $222,000. Bulsar Taluka (County) is 
one of the eight talukas composing the Surat Col- 




Ten inches in ten hours." 



lectorate. The licenses for the twenty-two saloons in 
the city of Rangoon, Burma, recently sold for $124,300. 
Land taxation is an intricate problem. As each 
presidency arranges its own assessments, there is much 
variation. A field is examined, its fertility, means 
of irrigation, nearness to market, and other consider- 
ations, from which it is decided how much each field 



i8 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



"I am alike to all beings; to me none is hateful, none dear.' 
avad Gita 9 : 29. 



-Krishna 



should pay. Each field is thus examined after a lapse 
of years, when the tax may be increased or decreased, 
according to the conditions. Government has a rul- 
ing that no land shall be taxed above fifteen or twen- 
ty per cent of the gross proceeds. In actual practice, 

however, I am told, land 
is farmed out so often, 
from one to another, 
from the second to the 
third, from the third to 
the fourth, that the man 
who follows the plow 
really gets much less 
than half the produce. 
And the last man always 
suffers, not because of 
Government, but be- 
cause of the many mid- 
dlemen between him 
and the powers that be. 
The revenue from all 
India which Govern- 
ment receives annually 
is $323,000,000, of 
which $3,000,000 come 
from the native states. Of this $200,000,000 come 
from taxes alone. Yet the taxation per head is 
lighter than in any other civilized country in the 
world. In Russia it is eight times as great, in Eng- 
land twenty times, in Italy nineteen, in Erance twen- 




" Surat Collectorate." 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. IQ 

"The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous, and his ears are open 

unto their cry. The face of the Lord is against 

them that do evil." — Psalms 34: 15- 

ty-five, in the United States and Germany thirteen 
times. The average tax per capita is two annas eight 
pie per month, which is about five cents. 

To award impartial justice in a land of so many 
and so varied religions is to do exceedingly well. 
Government does this, and is so careful to show no 
partiality that Christian workers sometimes indeed feel 
that she favors the non-Christian reHgions. And they 
come by this feehng honestly. The average native 
mistakes this justice given to all alike, which is an 
outgrowth of Christianity, for a certain indefinable re- 
gard for his own religion, and loss of faith in Chris- 
tianity. He knows very well that he would give the 
best of the bargain to his co-religionist, and he can 
not see why the man in power should not do the same. 
Missionaries are often reminded of this. However, 
the more intelligent classes understand. 

Enghsh justice in India is indeed something to be 
studied and admired. Not long ago an English official 
went into a Hindoo temple to clear out the people he 
found huddled together there, for on account of in- 
creased plague an order had been issued that the peo- 
ple should not congregate anywhere. According to 
their superstition the temple was defiled by the official 
in entering it. This man's superior, a splendid Eng- 
lish gentleman, recommended him to pay damages to 
the " injured " idolaters, which he did willingly, and 
with that money the temple was done over. To-day 



20 IXDIA ; A PRORLEM. 

" ^^'hat god shall we adore with our oblation?" — Atharva- 
\'eda 4: 2: 1. 

certain idolaters of this temple boast that a sahib 
paid for the renewing of it. 

About a year ago a Parsee gentleman said to me. 
" England is making a mistake in India these days." 

I replied, " Well, what's up now ? Governments are 
human, and liable to err, I know." 

And he surprised me by saying, " Formerly all the 
higher offices were entrusted to Englishmen only, but 
now they are given too often to natives, and I tell 
you no native is as impartial as an Englishman." 

Practically every native would prefer an English 
judge rather than one of his own caste, to settle all 
his legal difficulties. A pamphlet lately published in 
Madras asks : " How is it that the people put but lit- 
tle confidence generally in the word or promise or 
even the oath of their co-religionists, but will usual- 
ly believe the word of one from a Christian country 
without hesitation ? " I answer, they have seen that 
justice. 

Sir AI. Bhavnagari, an Indian member of the Eng- 
lish Parliament, a Parsee. says, " The mission of the 
British Government in India is purely a paternal one." 
Sarendra Xath Banurji, a Bengali gentleman says, 
" Wq regard British rule in India as a dispensation 
of Divine Providence. England is here to rejuven- 
ate an ancient people, to infuse into them the vigor, 
the virility and the robustness of the West, and 
so pav ofi' the long-standing debt, accumulating since 
the morning of the world, which the West owes to 
the East. We are anxious for the permanence of Brit- 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 21 

" Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool." — 
Psalms 99: 5. 

ish rule in India, not only as a guarantee for stability 
and order, but because with it are bound up the best 
prospects of our political advancement." There are 
not wanting however natives who talk differently. 

We, children of the great republic, can not afford 
to fire away in school-boy oratory, criticising every 
act of the great limited monarchy, as is sometimes 
done. England saves India from the tyranny of her 
own people, from many cruelties of her own religions, 
and from any outside enemy. I was walking in the 
country once near Bulsar, when I saw two roosters 
fighting. They fought so fiercely that I thought they 
would both die if allowed to keep on. Just then came 
running a rooster bigger than the other two put to- 
gether, and stood right between them. The two lit- 
tle ones stopped fighting, felt a little jealous of the 
big one, bade him their salaams, and quieted down. 
I said to myself. That's the history of India in tab- 
leau, and England is the big rooster. 

And as for progress, India stands at the present 
time before Canada, is ninth among the commercial 
countries of the world, and first for foreign trade in 
Asia. The agricultural income in twenty years, 
previous to 1895, increased nearly forty per cent. 
The income of the great mass of the people in- 
creased nearly twenty-nine per cent, while capital 
investments increased nearly 380 per cent ! In 1900 
there were 186 cotton mills, 33 jute and hemp mills. 
There are 113 silk factories, 9 paper mills, and 
35 or more ice plants. The value of private merchan- 



22 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" A king must take from his subjects as taxes a sixth part every year 
of the grain." — Institutes of Vishnu 3 : 23. 

dise exported in 1900 exceeded the import values 
as ^2 to 47. 

The daily wage of a laboring man averages about 
six cents. A woman gets four cents a day for the 
same work. Skilled labor is worth four or five times 
as much as unskilled. In Burma the wage is three 
or four times what it is generally in India proper. 









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'^oW.t 






" Exports exceed imports." 



While the wage is very low, it is on the increase, as 
the census tables show. 

Consider the post office system. A letter coming 
from America crosses the Atlantic in six days. Then 
from London it goes down across the continent to 
Brindisi, Italy, or to ]\Iarseilles, France, in less than 
two days ; then across the Mediterranean and through 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 




" He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker."— Prov. 14: 30. 

the Suez canal (eighty-three miles long) and down 
the Red Sea to Aden and across the Indian Ocean in 
eighteen days, when 
arriving at the beau- 
tiful Bombay harbor 
it leaves the sea, and 
taking a passing 
glance at the Bom- 
bay post office hast- 
ens by special train 
up-country. The 
postman will find you 
wherever you are and 
bring your letter to 
you. Once a week 
the mail steamer arrives from England. 

The first post office in India was estabHshed by the 
British Government, and in 1854 uniform rates were 

created making the inhnd 
rates at that time the low- 
est in the world, one cent 
for a letter and half cent 
for a postal card. There 
are now 288 head post of- 
fices, 2,959 subs, 7,746 
branch, total 10,992 Im- 
perial post offices. In the 
various native states are 
19 head offices, 1,469 branch, total 1,488, making a 
<zrand total for India of 12,480 post offices. 



Beautiful Bombay harbor." 




Bombay Post Office. 



24 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" O Agni, come with all the gods, come to our sacrificial gift: 
Sit with the gods upon the grass." — Rig- Veda 5: 26: 4. 

Ill connection with the post office is a Government 
savings bank system, where sums as low as eight cents 
may be deposited. On balances two per cent is given, 
and an amount standing for a year draws nearly four 
per cent. 

A Governmenr telegraph is also maintained by the 
post office, where a " deferred " message of eight 
words can be sent for sixteen cents, each additional 
word costing in the same propcwtion. " Ordinary " 
messages cost twice as much, and " urgent " four 
times as much as the deferred rate message. 

Much like our American C. O. D. the Y. P. P. nre- 
vails in India, i. c. " value payable post," for small 
packets. The mail carrier hands you the parcel at 
the door of your home, you sign and pay. 

The post office sells quinine too, in small packets of 
five grains, enough for one dose, for a half cent. 

What with money orders and registered letters ai:d 
the work mentioned above besides the regular mail, 
the post office is an important institution. In 1900 
the Indian postal department handled 250,000,000 let- 
ters, 218,000,000 postal cards, 32,000,000 newspapers. 
2,600,000 V. P. P.'s, and 13,000,000 money orders. 

The first railroad was opened in 1853, from Bombay 
to a neighboring town, a distance of twenty miles. 
There are now about 25,000 miles of railway complete 
and about 3,000 miles are added each year. Every 
station is somewhat of a flower garden, for the vari- 
ous companies ofi^er prizes annually, ranging as higli as 
$20 for the best kept station. All tickets have the fare 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 



25 



" The Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works." — 
Psalms 145 : 17. 

printed on the face. The fare, first class, is about the 
same as our ordinary rate of travel, second class is 
half of first, and third class half of second. From 
Bulsar to Bombay, one hundred and twenty-five miles, 
third class, the fare is about fiftv-five cents. There is 




" Somewhat of a flower garden." 



much travel by third class, more than by first and 
second together. 

Government owns some of the railroads, and others 
are Government secured. Until quite recently native 
capital has been shy of railroad stock. In 1898 the 



26 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



"A nectar-yielding cow." — Rig- Veda i: 20: 3. 

railroads carried about 150,000,000 passengers. Tn 
that same year there were in operation 55,000 miles 
of telegraph, and some 5,500,000 messages were sent. 
There are 308,000 railway employes, of whom 25,000 
are Europeans and Eurasians. Connected by cable 
with all the world, if a president is elected, or parlia- 
ment assembled, or a mikado dies, all India knows it 
the next day. On the day that President McKinley 
was buried all India was in mourning. 




" Canals chiefly for irrigation." 



Especially during times of famine. Government lias 
busied itself with digging large reservoirs or tanks, 
and miles of irrigating canals. These tanks as well 
as the canals are chiefly for irrigation. There are 
now more than 40,000 miles of these canals, and tanks 
are almost without number. 

The policy of Government has been from the first 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 27 

" Behold a king shall reign in righteousness." — Isaiah 32: i. 

not to touch the religious question, but to push the 
educational. There are five large Government uni- 
versities, in Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Allahabad, and 
Lahore respectively, each having a cluster of perhaps 
twenty affiliated colleges, which in turn have about 200 
students each. Besides these are J\Iedical, Engineer- 
ing, and Law colleges, a college of Science and schools 
of Art. In Calcutta alone there are 74 high schools 
and 24 colleges, and the university examines 10,000 
students annually. In 1900 there were over 4,460,000 
pupils in 150,000 schools. Each year has a univer- 
sity output of 1,300 to 1,400 B. A. gentlemen. In all 
probability a sixth university will soon be established 
in Burma, and by the munificent gift of INIr. Tata, a 
wealthy Parsee gentleman, the seventh, a university 
of research, in Mangalore. As there are just seven 
Government universities in England, India will soon 
be equal with the mother country in point of numbers 
at least, along educational lines. 

Public opinion is welcome, with some necessary re- 
strictions. In English and the vernaculars 32 news- 
papers are published in Calcutta, 29 in Bombay, and 
more than 560 are registered for all India. One Cal- 
cutta paper is said to enjoy a circulation of 20,000. 
Counting all the vernacular papers only, they have a 
combined circulation of half a million copies weekly. 
About 6,000 new books of all sizes and kinds, and 
in all languages issue from Indian presses annually. 

Government is careful with respect to all claims 
of individuals in ancient rights and titles of all kinds. 



28 



INDIA ; A FROBLEM. 



"Honor the king with thine oblations." — Rig-Veda lo: 14: i. 

It has been defrauded a great deal in the endeavor to do 
the right. But we do not have to go to India to find 
those who seemingly think it no wrong to defraud the 
Government. The amount of tax on temples and vari- 
ous freehold alienations which is thus remitted actually 









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" Newspapers are published." 

reaches the vast sum of $17,000,000 annually. In 
South India, where these temple concessions are large, 
they have a queer story by which the credit of this ac- 
tion is given to the gods and not to Government at all. 
Once the gods of the several temples arrayed themselves 
for war, with bows and arrows, and appeared before 
the English Collector, threatening his life and the over- 
throw of Government and the destruction of the Eng- 
lish people. The Collector became greatly alarmed and 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 29 

"Fear God. Honor the king." — i Peter 2: 17. 

yielded to the demands of the gods, making very lib- 
eral concessions in behalf of temple properties. 

The municipal and local governments are largely 
controlled by the natives who live within the area 
concerned. Generally a town of 4,000 is the mini- 
mum entitled to a Municipal Government. All who 
are of age have a right to vote in the municipal elec- 
tions, provided they hold property to the amount of 
about $600, or pay municipality tax to the amount 
of $1.25 a year, or pay income tax, or are a univer- 
sity graduate, or lawyer, or juror, or assessor, or 
honorar}^ magistrate. In our tOAvn of Bulsar, pop- 
ulation 11,000, at the last Municipal elections, 597 
persons voted, of whom 44 were women. To an 
American there is something especially interesting in 
this solution of the problem as to who shall vote. 

In every taluka there is a Government hospital, and 
also a Government doctor whose services in connec- 
tion with the hospital are free. And the medicine is 
free, at the expense of the Government. These hos- 
pital physicians are usually native gentlemen of good 
education, and of course are up in English. Besides, 
all the judges, lawyers, higher county officers, sta- 
tion masters, ticket agents, postmasters, and many 
others speak English freely. About one per cent of 
the native people speak English. 

The native states continue to be ruled by their own 
sovereigns. These subordinate rulers have great lib- 
erty in the management of their own affairs, but if 
there be any irregularity the supreme Government 
calls them to account. The Collector of a district is 




Some of these Rajas are very popular." 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 



.?J 



" Thei-e is neither male nor female, for ye are all one in Christ Jesus." 
—Gal. 3: 28. 

usually the " Political Agent " of a native state if in 
the district, and the law is that no Raja may at any 
time leave his state without permission from the Po- 
litical Agent. It sometimes happens that one Agent 
has a half dozen Rajas in his jurisdiction, yet one 
Raja usually indulges in more luxury than half a 
dozen Agents. However, some of these Rajas are 
very popular, able statesmen and good financiers. 
Others are quite the opposite. Some rule over large 
states, and others over very small ones. 

Rajputana is about as large as Ohio, Indiana and 
Illinois put together, while there are a number of 
states smaller than Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. 
Most of the Rajas hav^e elephants and cannon. Such 
things add dignity. The Nizam of Hyderabad has 
nearly 200 wives. Every Raja spends certain hours 
each day with his Dewan (Secretary of State) and 
cabinet at official headquarters in consultation con- 
cerning the affairs of State. 

The proudest prince of Rajputana does not consider 
his coronation complete until he 
has received his caste- 
mark on his forehead, at 
the hands of some poor 
man of the hill tribes, 
whose touch at any oth- 
er time would be pollu- 
tion to him. 

The P^aja of Travan- 
core is succeeded in the .. t^, „ . , „ 

ine Raja of iravancore. 





32 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Which of us two is you, and which is I? " — Vishnu Purana 2: 16. 

royal chair by his sister's son, and when he is crowned 
he is balanced in the scales with gold which is after- 
wards distributed among Brahmins. 

The Raja of Cochin recently decided that a certain 
Brahmin gentleman who had been to England should 
be excommunicated for his offense. Even Hindoo pa- 
pers questioned the right of his majesty to act in a 
matter of this kind, but one must suppose that he 
was acting according to his enlightenment and teach- 
ing ! 

Another native state, continuing an old practice, 
pays $175 annually to a religious mendicant. Once 
each year the fellow sits in one position without mov- 
ing, without eating, without sleeping or talking, for 
nine days ! I expressed my doubts, but they say he 
does it, and bless the state for its wisdom in keep- 
ing up this old time-honored custom. 

The native states are scattered everywhere, accord- 
ing to the following table : 

Assam Provinces, Chief Commissionership, 16 

Baluchistan Agency i 

Bengal Presidency 66 

Bombay Presidency 358 

Burma Government 54 

Central ProA'inces, Chief Commissionership 15 

Central India 14S 

Government of India directly 7 

Madras Presidency 5 

Rajputana 20 

Total 690 

Six inmdred ninety native states means 690 sub- 
ordinate rulers. The hospitality of the Indian Raja 
is i)roverbial. I have enjoyed that hospitality on sev- 



INI)1A UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 



33 



"Showing all good fidelity." — Titus 2: 10. 

eral occasions, partaking of all that was set before 
me, — except the liquors and cigars. 

There are in India 166,000 Europeans, of whom 



>^3^ / 

'/>!,t:£-^'Cn/ ^- 20. 000 

^enf-. ^ yScmv^ay , '/O.non 

^enr. c^ Tn^z^jLCLd^, /o.opo 

Xce-f-l/. ^tn^ . i^ J\f ii- ^irv-- V.OOO 
^crnvma^-deA. tYiJ^cfi.tJVyffCUi'fni^J.333 

J Jjc-?^ri^riAt<uJn^iy, Y.ono 

A \ic<.c>-n^ fi^ccclacy. , 5, 36o 



76,000 are soldiers. 
There are also about 
139,000 native sol- 
diers. The Europe- 
an officials are well 
paid, are very effi- 
cient, and are rarely 
if ever tempted by 
friendship or bribery 
to do what they otli- _ 
erwise would not. ' "Weiipaid." 

Americans who ought to know, unhesitatingly praise 
the Indian Civil Service. As to the native minor 
official, he is often the embodiment of all manner 
of corruption.- -"God pity the poor farmer who -falls 
into the hands of the minor' official," these are the 
words of a native gentleman to _ me last year, one 
who I believe would take no bribe whatever. 

Now the problem is, with India under the Brit- 
ish flag, to establish the blessed religion of the Lord 
Jesus there. Everybody is equally welcome to preach 
any religion he wants to. There is no legal hin- 
drance. There is no danger. The whole country is 
unarmed. Being unarmied means that no native is 
allowed to carry a weapon of any kind without the 
special permission of Government, which permission 
is not sold. It is a special concession, given to but 
few. 



34 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



"By honoring his mother he gains this world." — Laws of Manu 2: 233. 

Perhaps the greatest hindrance to the natural growth 
of Christianity in India is the thoughtless, careless 




" The poor farmer." 



manner of life of too many Europeans and Eurasians. 
All Hindoos, whatever their life or whatever their faith, 
are Hindoos still, and it is the same with the people 
of oriental religions generally. So they naturally look 
upon all Europeans and all Eurasians as necessarily 
Christian, and that's bad for the Truth! What with 
Freemasonry, drinking, dancing, smoking, chewing, 
card-playing, betting, Sunday-hunting, Sunday-mar- 
keting, frequenting of bad houses, lying, bribing, 
swearing, harshness to native servants ; a native may 
not claim much for his own religion, yet he thinks it 
won't suffer in comparison with that ! And he's right 



INDIA UNDER THE BRITISH FLAG. 35 

"The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree." — Psalms 92: 12. 

in thinking so. But he fails to see that he is compar- 
ing his rehgicn with the fooHshness of those who, in 
many cases, have never professed to have any re- 
ligion. He compares the temperate actions of the best 
men of the Hindoo people with the careless deportment 
of the unregenerate element of a Christian nation. 
And godless people in the home country do the same, 
in seeking to excuse themselves. 

It is not an infrequent thing, when out preaching, 
to be met with the response, " Sahib, convert these 
your caste men first, then come preach to us." These, 
born perhaps in a Christian land, children most likely 
of Christian parents, ought to shine with the bright- 
est light throughout Hindustan, but many of them 
miss the opportunity. There are not a few devoted, 
self-sacrificing, consecrated European Christian men 
and women in India whose character is radiant with 
all that makes for excellence. But the lives of these 
others cast a shadow that is all too conspicuous. 




WHERE THE PEOPLE LIVE. 
Chapter Two. 

" Be to us easy of approach, even as a father to his son." — Rig- 
Veda I : 1 : 9. 

Wpien one sees it on the map, India seems such 
a little country, merely a bit of a cape at the far 
south of Asia ! When one considers its size, 1,786,254 
square miles, about half the size of the United States, 
then he hesitates. When one recognizes that the pop- 
ulation is 294,362,676, nearly one-fifth of the whole 
population of the globe, then in astonishment the first 
question naturally is. Where do the people all live 
over there? If we take the whole general average, it 
is 165 per square mile, but this includes the Himalaya 
Mountains and vast barren tracts of land. In the 
fertile valleys and arable plains the population is very 
dense. 

The whole province of Gujerat averages 300 per 
square mile. The province of Oudh 532. In Surat 
Collectorate it is 390. In all Bengal it is about 400 
per mile. One can get a just idea by comparison only. 
In Pennsylvania the average is 140, in Ohio it is loi, 
in Illinois eighty-six, in Indiana seventy, in Virginia 
forty- four, and in Iowa forty per square mile. That 
is to say, if the population of Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, 
Illinois and Iowa were all put together into the lit- 
tle State of Ohio, there would be room for a million 
more before it would be as densely populated as is 

the great Bengal Presidency ! 

36 



WHERE THE PEOPLE LIVE. 



Z7 



" Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that 
fear him." — Psahns 103: 13. 

Again, if all the population of Pennsylvania, Vir- 
ginia, Ohio, Indiana, Iowa, and Colorado were brought 
together to live in Pennsylvania, the density would 
only be equal to what we have round about where 
we live in India! If we should put all the people 
of the United States into the State of Texas, and 
then ask all the population of England to come over 
too, yet the population would not be as dense there 
as it is in several India coUectorates ! Once again, 
if all the people of the whole world were to be 
brought into the United States to make their homes 
here, the population would not be nearly as dense 
as it is now in several whole districts in India. 

It comes to this : 
where we usually 
have a farm-house 
and out-buildings, 
they have a little 
village. Here, often 
six or eight farm- 
houses can be seen 
at one time. There 
six or eight villages 
can be seen from 
one point. Here, in Kansas, I counted some sixteen 
windmills at one time, each representing an indus- 
trious farmer. There, if one is standing upon an 
elevated place he will be able often to count as many 
villages. Some of these villages are small, with but 
ten or fifteen houses, while others are larger with 




' A little village. 



38 



INDIA ; A PROIiLEM. 



" Truth makes the wind blow." — Institutes of Vishnu 8: 29. 

t\vent_y-five or fifty houses or more. It is in these 
villages that the people dwell. The American 
country-home life is not known here. The village 
is the unit, and all seek the village. They do 
their farming around about the villages in which they 
live. Perhaps this custom of staying in villages arose 




" Others are larger." 

from necessity ages ago, when the people were driven 
togetlier for self-defense, both against wild animals 
and robbers. Both of these dangers were much more 
imminent before the advent of the British. Govern- 
ment pays a premium for killing wild animals, and 
there are many killed annually. 

In the United States there are thirty-nine cities of 
over a hundred thousand population. In India with 
all its people there are twenty-nine cities of over 
a hundred tliousand. In speaking of urban and ru- 
ral population, all the cities of over ten thousand are 



WHERE THE PEOPLE LIVE. 



39 



"The wind bloweth where it listeth." — John 3:8. 

classed as urban, and the rest are rural. The tend- 
ency at home is toward the city, but this is not so 
much the case there. In i860 the urban population 
here was sixteen per cent of the whole. In 1880 it 
was twenty-three per cent, and in 1900 it was twen- 
ty-nine per cent. The city is growing faster than 
the country. But in India it is not so. The coun- 
try is growing fast- 
er there than the 
city. Out of the 
two hundred and 
ninety - four mil- 
lion only twenty- 
nine million are 
classed as urban. 
That makes only 
about ten per cent 
urban at the pres- 
ent time. But the 
Indian classifica; 
tion of urban in- 
cludes towns below 
five thousand even, 
so if we take our 
urban rate as used 
above, we will find only seven per cent of the people 
living in about seven hundred and forty-five towns of 
over ten thousand inhabitants each. 

Then it becomes apparent that we are confronted 
with the problem of how to evangelize the country 
people in India. About ninety per cent of the peo- 




40 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"Thou art invincible." — Institutes of \'islinu 98: 58. 

pie live in the country ! And that church or that 
mission that can make a success of the country work 
has a vast field in India. Pjut success in an American 
countr3^-vicinity does not guarantee any success in In- 
dia, because the conditions are so very different. 
There is a great deal of missionary effort in the large 
cities which is not without its results/ but the num- 
bers of converts have come from the country, which 
is to say, from the villages. The question then is just 
the opposite to what it is in the United States and 
Europe. Here the problem for the church is that of 
city evangelization. There it is to evangelize the 
country ! 

^ Appendix A. 




AN INDIAN VILLAGE. 
Chapter Three. 

" And there shall in no wise enter into it (heaven) anj^thing that 
defileth, or maketh a lie." — Rev. 21: 27. 

An early morning in January we may visit a country 
village. The sun is not yet up, and the people are only 
beginning to stir. Villages differ of course, but in the 
village I am telling you about there are perhaps a 
thousand inhabitants all told, simple, inoffensive coun- 
try people. We take our stand under a large peepul 
tree and breathe in the fresh morning air, so invigor- 
ating and so pleasant. When the tree was planted, 
likely over a hundred years ago, it was planted with 
this prayer, " May I abide in heaven as many years as 
this tree continues growing on earth." 

On the one side of the road is a large talao, — the 
common name for an Indian tank or reservoir, — and 
the little town owes to that tank whatever cleanliness 
it has. It isn't deep, and it looks as if a little care 
would make it an inviting place. However it is pub- 
lic property, and " who wants to spend money on it 
for other people?" It is the meeting place for all life. 
Men, women, children, and the cattle of the town all 
get their daily bath in it, and their drinking water from 
it. Those who carry water away from it, those wom- 
en, first wash their clothes, then their hands and feet, 
then their mouths and the water vessels, and then ad- 
vancing two or three steps farther out into the water 
they get the supply for household use. Long legged 



42 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"In love affairs there is no sin in a false oath." — Laws of Manu S: 112. 



Tl 




^^^^^^w^^'nM 



^^^-^ *"^^ ^-'^-^.^^^^. 



" That tank." 

birds of half a dozen kinds come here from the fields 
and stalk about amidst the green moss or the lotus 
leaves in search of little fish. 

Just before us, near a banyan tree, 
is the village temple and the village 
god. It is but a little temple, such 
as are everywhere to be seen. Scarce- 
ly is there room for one man in it. 
Hindoos bow to the god when they 
pass, and some lay a half cent or more 
as an offering down before it. The 
Brahmin keeper of the temple gets 
these ofl'erings, and not the god. The 
door was locked for the night, and 
is shut yet, but we can peep through 
the iron bars. If it is Kali, — " Kali, 
Kali, Calcutta Wali." it is but a little 







It is but a little temple.' 



AN INDIAN VILLAGE. 



43 




" Kali." 



" Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world." — 
I John 2: 15. 

shapeless stone painted red, with two eyes some- 
where toward the top. 

Hanging on the wall are pictures 
of Kali the blood-thirsty, with her 
long tongue out, a string of skulls 
about her neck, and holding by the 
hair the severed head of a man in 
her hand. If we may know them 
by their gods, the man who coined 
the term " Gentle Hindoo " made a 
master stroke of irony in the same. 
It may be that Hannuman has the 
seat of honor here. If so, he is a 
larger stone set on end, painted red 
and shining greasy, two large eyes near the top, and 
perhaps a string of small, white flowers encircling 
the place where his neck ought to be. Fastened to 
the wall are colored pictures imported from England, 
of Hannuman, the monkey god, 
with tail, legs and all. Other 
pictures are there too, of KaH, 
of Luxman, of Ganesh, and oth- 
ers. It seems the more they 
have the better they like it, in 
these idol houses. Women and 
children feel afraid the first time 
they look at this red fellow with 
his big staring lifeless eyes. 

It may be Mahadeo is there. 
If so, he is not so much in ev- <.„ 

Hannuman. 




44 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



"Hail, liolj' bull." — Zend-Avesta 21: i. 

idence as his stone bull. Any little round long stone 
may represent A'lahadeo, literally, the great god. He, 
the little oblong stone stands permanently on end, and 
the bull, a crude and sometimes almost unrecognizable 
stone im.age is always his counterpart. These two rep- 
resent power ; ability to licentiousness, that's the kind 




His stone bull." 



of power, and with that I dare not write more. Read 
between the lines ; you will not exceed the facts. And 
if that old saying, " like priest, like people " be true, 
we can by JMahadeo and his bull see why Hindoos are 
so blind to certain abominations, regarding a repeti- 
tion of the most stinking sins as a pleasing offering to 
the " power god " 

As the sun rises the villagers begin to stir. Smoke 
finds its way through the roofs of the little low hous- 
es, for fires are kindled and the morning bread is 



AN INDIAN VILLAGE. 



4H 



"Holy, holy, hoi}', Lord God Almighty. — Rev. 4: S. 

baked over a little fireplace that has no chimney. 
With the splintered ends of babul sticks the whole 
family clean their teeth daily before breakfast. After 
the mouth is thus attended to, and face and feet are 
washed, still sitting on the front door stone perhaps, 
the father turns his face to the rising sun and with 

hands clasped ut- 
ters words of 
prayer in which 
" ram ram" often 
comes, and they 
are ready for the 
morning bread. 
More devout peo- 
ple will take the 
bath all over, — if 
there is no room 
inside, the middle 
of the street is a 
convenient place, 
— and many are 
they who take their morning bath in the street. Aft- 
er the bath and the ram rams toward the sun, they 
eat their morning bread. • > :- . ' 

After the meager breakfast a few dry leaves are 
rolled together in the shape of a cigarette, and a 
bit of powdered leaf tobacco is poured in at the end, 
the leaves are pressed together so that the contents do 
not fall out, and lighting the thing with flint-and-tin- 
der, or more commonly with a match made in Swe- 




" The middle of the street is a convenient place 



4^ INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" A shepherd, a keeper of buffaloes, the husband of a twice-married 
woman; these are to be avoided." — Laws of Manu 3: 166. 

den, the villager goes puffing away. Such cigarettes 
cost one cent per packet of twenty-five, ready made; 
but many make their own, — they are cheaper. 

This is in the midst of the village. The one lit- 
tle store is recognized as the proprietor in opening 
up removes board after board from its place. There 
he has piles of green peppers, ginger, garlic, salt, 
matches, leaf-tobacco, bundles of dry leaves for mak- 
ing cigarettes, dried fish and some spices. Ask him : 

" Bhai (Brother), why don't you keep flour, po- 
tatoes, and such things ? " 

" Because, who would buy? The field laborers are 




" They make their own flour on the hand mills." 

paid in kind. Then with the rice they make theii 
own flour on the hand mills." 

"And those who have money?" 

" They have grain in the casks, and in their 
own carts they go to town to buy what else they need, 
thus saving the profit I ought to have." 



AN INDIAN VILLAGE. 47 

" Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward 
men." — Luke 2: 14. 

" But you can't make a living selling peppers and 
salt?" 

" No, but it is a little. I do other work, and she 
stays at home to see after the store." He calls his 
wife she. Usually, no husband or wife in all Hin- 
dooism will speak the other's name. 

There is a school with some fifty or sixty boys on 
the roll. The boys of the smaller villages around 
come here to school, and sitting in rows on the floor 
they learn their lessons by rote. The teacher is usual- 
ly a higher caste man than most country boys. Out- 
side the house near the door sit three boys. They 
are out-caste boys. Government tells the teacher that 
the school is to be open to all without regard to 
caste or religion, so he allows these boys to sit on 
the outside. However, even if he wanted to be more 
a man, and show no partiality, sentiment would be 
too strong for him to survive it. 

A shoemaker, a tailor, a Musselman barber, some 
potters and a liquor dealer, all are to be found in a vil- 
lage of a thousand, but the latter of these usually has 
the most customers and does the greater business. 

The inhabitants are chiefly farmers, either active or 
retired, farming principally by servant labor. They 
live in good houses, fairly good, sometimes of brick, 
and occasionally with a second story. 

The servants of these, the poor fellows upon whom 
the burden of labor falls, live in little huts grouped 
here and there on the edge of the village. Several 
of these huts of theirs are on the elevated edge of 



48 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"Imperishable righteousness." — Satapatha Brahmana 2: 6: 3:1. 

some rice fields. In all, wherever it is handy to 
have them, there they are, for their humble dwell- 
ings are such as can be removed and put up again 
in a day or two. These can not read and their chil- 
dren do not go to school. When they are big enough 
to go to school, they are big enough to work and in- 
crease the supply of bread. And those above them 
often say it is best so, for they are contented now, 
and if they learned to read they would likely become 
discontented and therefore unhappy. 

These get their pay usually in kind, with perhaps 
a very little cash for extras, but when the year is 
up, if they should balance accounts, they would con- 
sider they had done well, if they had always had 
enough to eat, besides perhaps having added anoth- 
er brass ring or two to those already on the legs 
and arms of their women. More, a baby girl may 
have been added during the year. The first concern 
is how to get it married well, and to find out where 
ten or twenty rupees can be borrowed to pay the 
marriage expenses. Clothes it won't require till it 
is eight or ten years old, but it must be married by 
that time. The debt is not yet paid for the last wed- 
ding festivities, but as long as the interest at twelve 
or eighteen per cent is kept up, the creditor will 
not press hard for the principal. 

On the opposite side of the tank live low caste peo- 
ple. They are a little village to themselves, and the 
caste people won't touch them. Their children at the 
Government school sit on the outside and learn what 
they can. Sudras are farmers and general laborers, 



AN INDIAN VILLAGE. 49 

" Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth inito life." — 
Matt. 7: 14. 

usually poor but not always ; but these are lower than 
sudras. Sudras won't touch these, neither are they 
allowed to get water from any well where su- 
dras or other Hindoos go. But they all get water 
from the common tank. These herd cattle, farm or 
do servant's work. One not having seen can not at 
all imagine the utter contempt a high caste man has 
for these poor fellows. 

Lower than these and separate from them as well 
as from all the others are a few houses of " sweep- 
ers " or scavengers. They are paid by the town peo- 
ple a very low rate, must clean out all cesspools 
daily, and keep out of everybody's way. The other 
low caste people could not be induced to touch these 
poor fellows. 

There is a certain peculiar poise in a village of 
a thousand. Every one is proud that some others 
are lower than he is. Every one has some one to 
whom he can say, " Don't you touch me." Every 
one has a senseless set of caste rules to keep up. 
Every one has some one to look down upon, — ev- 
ery one but the last one ! 

Every one has some one to look down on him. 
Every one has some one to whom he must concede the 
last word in a quarrel. Every one has some one 
who won't eat what he has prepared, — every one but 
the last one ! 

And everybody knows all about everybody else's 
business. There are no secrets. Everybody knows 
how much tax his neighbor pays, how much rice he 



so 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" The worship of Brahmins is the foremost duty of a king desirous of 
happiness." — Mahabharata 13: i. 

has stored in his house, and how much money his 
wife's ornaments cost. Everybody knows how much 
a man is in debt, and how much of the debt he is 
likely to pay. Everybody knows hoAv the husband 

and wife get on to- 
gether, what father 
is kind to his chil- 
dren, and what god 
h e worships, and 
what wife is negli- 
gent in her home du- 
ties. Everybody 
k n o w s when the 
child is likely to be 
born. The women 
discuss it when they 
meet each other on 
the street. Every- 
body knows when 
the daughter reaches 
puberty. Poor girl, 
the Hindoo idea is to 
get her married be- 
fore that time if they can, and they generally can. 

In the poise of the village, servants remain serv- 
ants, and servants' children become the servants of 
the masters' children from generation to generation. 
In the village I am talking about, no land or house 
has changed hands for a hundred years, except from 
father to son. No one wants to sell. He feels he 




Poor girl.'' 



AN INDIAN VILLAGE. 5 1 

"I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people."— Psalms 57: 9. 

wants to keep what God has given him, both of hous- 
es and lands and rehgion, and he wants every one 
else to do the same. Especially so in religion. He 
don't care what religion those about him follow, but 
he is not going to change, and they must not change 
either. He was born of Hindoo parents perhaps, then, 
according to his way of thinking, God created him 
a Hindoo to be a Hindoo. He feels as the cold and 
the heat and the rains come and go, if he can pass 
on to the next generation his house and land and 
religion and spirit, which things he does not gener- 
ally call his own, if he can pass these on as good as 
he got them and none the worse for his having had 
the use of them, then he has done his duty well. 

It is the religion of stagnation and the doctrine of 
despair. But, now the problem is to introduce the 
holy and aggressive religion of Jesus into this Httle 
village. Every man and woman and child would be 
a thousandfold better for the change, but not one 
of them knows this fact. 




THE PARSEES. 



Chapter Four. 



"This I ask thee: Teach me the truth, O Lord." — Zend-Avesta 19: 35. 

I AM persuaded that the Parsees, side by side with 
the Japanese, hold the highest place among all the 
non-Christian communities of the world. They are 
a bright, good-natured, generous people. We have 
found them good neighbors, kind and agreeable. 
They care for their own poor, and found many char- 
itable institutions. You nev- 
er see a Parsee beggar, nor 
is there a religious mendicant 
among them. 

Men have considerable re- 
spect for their wives. A 
husband and wife may often 
be seen walking side by side 
on the street, or riding in an 
open carriage together. Their 
children are early in school, 
quick to learn, and lovers of 
fun. The majority of their 
whole number can speak Eng- 
lish, and all the rest of them 
are unceasingly sorry because 
they cannot. 

In speaking of their founder, 
Zoroaster or Aserjathos, they 
call him their prophet. It used 
52 




" Aserjathos, prophet." 



THE PARSEES. 



53 



"I am the way, the truth, and the life." — John 14: 6. 

to be believed generally among them about fifty years 
ago, that their great character Jamshed was one and 
the same person with Solomon, but that theory is 
now dropped. 

Their earliest dates arc rather uncertain. They 
came to India about the year 698, and first settled 
at the small sea coast town of San Jan, between Bul- 
sar and Bombay. From that year the India Parsees 
count timiC. They came from Persia, hence the name 
Parsee, which really means a people from a coun- 
try, and not a people of a religion. They came flee- 
ing the oppressor, seeking religious liberty, and even 
to-day regard themselves as foreigners in India, 
though there to stay. 

At the present time the Parsees remaining in the 
Parsee fatherland number less than 10,000, and they 
are having a hard time under 
their Mahomedan rulers ; while 
the number of those now in In- 
dia is 92,000 in full enjoyment 
of liberty and prosperity. 

They are merchants, traders, 
1 a n d-o w n e r s, manufacturers, 
doctors, lawyers and always 
have their eyes open to making 
money. With them it is not too 
often a question of right or 
wrong, but " Will it pay ? " In 
taking a bribe, it's, " Will I be 
caught?" In giving a present, 
.. . ^ „ it's, " What may I hope for in 

"A Doctor.' ' -' ^ 




54 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



"Whichever of two bed-fellows gets up first shall first enter paradise." — 
Zend-Avesta i8: 53. 

return ? " On the second day of the new moon 
Parsees go- out early in the evening to look for it, 
and with one eye on a bright new rupee in the right 

hand held up high, and the 
other eye on the new moon, 
they say a prayer for pros- 
perity. If it may be said that 
Americans are all after the 
mighty dollar, it may yet 
more truthfully be said that 
the Parsees are all after 




A Merchant " 



the silver rupee. Between 
Bombay and Ahmadebad, 
and on out toward Wad- 
wan, nearly all the saloon 
keepers in towns, villages, 
and country places, are 
Parsees, — because it pays. 
And they feel no disgrace 
about it. There is money in it. The man with money 
is the most respected. However, there are not a few 
noble exceptions to the above. I have been on inti- 
mate terms with some such for years. 

Parsees are wonderful philanthropists, and some of 
them are far along in matters of state. The " Grand 
Old Man " of India is a Parsee, Mr. Dadabhoi Naor- 
osji, who now resides m London, and was for five 
years a member of Parliament. It is said of him that 
some years ago after he had visited the Shah of 
Persia, the Shah wished to confer the knighthood up- 



THE PARSEES. 



55 



"Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord." — ■ 
Rom. 12: II. 

on him. He refused it 
saying he would rather be 
only the unadorned Dada- 
bhoi than to have Sir or 
any other title to his name. 

They are a religious 
people, after the manner 
of the East. Religion con- 
sists chiefly in the doing 
of certain ceremonies. 

A storekeeper may send 
a customer away for 
time, or tell him to 
wait a half hour until 
he has finished his 
morning prayers, 
and think nothing of 
it. That same store- 
keeper might perhaps be saying his prayers when a 
poor man came along who hadn't paid up his little bill 
of a week ago according to his promise. He might 
stop the prayers and threaten the man with an oath 
for not paying, — and he'd think nothing of that. 

It is considered a duty of first importance to be 
charitable. By giving there is merit acquired which 
will add to one's chances of getting into heaven. A 
shopkeeper might offer to lend anything he had in 
his shop to help along, say in famine work, because 
that is a work of religion, and he wants to help in 
such good and meritorious work. But when any such 




'■ The Grand Old Man of India." 



56 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" I invoke the holy world, made by Ahura Mazda." — Zend-Avesta 19: 114. 

borrowed article is returned he might charge rent 
for it, for old goods, half as much as it would cost 
to buy the new article, — and think nothing of it. 

It IS a rule not to speak, or to touch any non- 
Parsee while saying prayers, lest the one praying, the 
Parsee, should be defiled by the touch and the prayers 
be spoiled. Some regard this, others do not. A lum- 
ber merchant who would neither touch you or speak 
to you, might still sell j^ou a bill of wood during 
his prayers. He might walk over the lumber yard 
with you, prayer book in hand, praying away. He 
wouldn't touch you, but he could hear. You could 
offer six rupees per gudge for a lot of logs. He 
could shake his head and hold up his fingers to indi- 
cate ten, and pray right on. Or he might say " ten 
rupees a gudge " with his lips closed, which the un- 
initiated would never understand, but if anv other 
Parsee were present who might have finished his 
pravers or neglected them, he would understand and 
could tell you. The price might be settled at eight 
rupees, }^ou could lay the money down and he could 
pick it up, or you could throw it to him and he could 
catch it. So he would keep business moving and 
not interrupt his prayers, — and think nothing of it. 

When the Parsees came to India they made cer- 
tain concessions in religious practice to the Hindoo 
rulers of the country, which have become part and 
parcel with other ceremonies, and are continued to 
this day. On occasions of weddings or thread cere- 
monies they put the Hindoo caste mark on their fore- 
heads. They are quite pliable as to manners and cus- 



THE PARSEES. 



57 




"See thou do it not. Worship God." — Rev. 22: 9. 

toms in general, even more than would be expected. 

In the Nizam's dominions they dress much like Ma- 

homedans and are 
otherwise like them. 
In Bombay they are 
quite English in their 
tastes. It is often 
said that the Bombay 
Parsee patterns after 
the European in ev- 
erything, — manners 
and customs, educa- 
„ „ . „ tion, business enter- 

Progressives. 

prise, house furnish- 
ings, in games, racing, drink- 
ing, gambling, Freemasonry ; 
in everything except religion. 

As to their general life, 
they may be said to be di- 
vided into three classes ; 
the old orders who retain 
all the superstitions of 
the fathers, the 
progressives who | 

drop practically all 
of the ancestral 
customs and re- 
main Parsees only 
in name, and the 
conservatives who 
are, as is usually 




•A^^*^^"'^ 



Conservatives." 



58 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"O Maker of the material world, thou Holy One! Which is the third 

place where the earth feels most happy? Ahura Mazda 

answered: It is the place where one of the 

faithful cultivates most corn." — 

Zend-Avesta 3 : 11. 

the case everywhere, the strength of the reHgion to- 
day. 

On birthdays of members of the family, especially 
on the birthdays of children, Parsees have a very 
beautiful custom of sending presents of sweet-meats, 
fruits and flowers to their friends. One cannot help 
but admire this, for it early instills the idea of liber- 
ality, and is much to be preferred to the hope, as some 
others have it, of always receiving a present on their 
birthday. 

The first thing an American thinks of in connection 
with the Parsees, is fire-worship or the towers of si- 
lence. But we'll speak of these later. When a child 
is about to be born, the mother hastens to the ground 
floor of the house, and for forty days she must remain 
there and be apart from the rest of the family. All 
this time she is looked upon as being unclean, and only 
the doctor or the nurse for the occasion will touch her. 

The father may wish to take baby in his arms a bit. 
The mother rolls it over away from herself, then he 
takes it up, fondles it, and lays it down again, but 
never touches her. This is too bad. Often in the life 
of the Parsee woman there are days when she must be 
separate, and not touch any person or thing, she for 
the time, being considered religiously unclean. 

Between the age of six and ten the child is initiated 
into the religion. This is a great dav. Friends are 



THE I'ARSEES. 



59 



" To be carnally minded is death; but to be spii^itually minded is life 
and peace." — Rom. 8: 6. 

called and there is eating and drinking and merry mak- 
ing. The child is bathed and prepared for it, then he 
is put on a stool before a dastoor (priest) who reads 
the necessary words from the Zend-Avesta in the Zend 
language, which of course none of the company under- 
stand. The dastoor puts the sacred shirt and the sa- 
cred string on the 
child, reads some 
more Zend, the com- 
pany laugh and talk 
meanwhile, and it is 
finished. 

Now the child is 
a full-fledged Par- 
see, and he is ex- 
pected to do as his 
Parsee ancestors 
have done before 
him. He is expect- 
ed to pray out of the 
Zend prayer book 
certain prayers dai- 
ly, to wear the sa- 
cred shirt and string 

day and night, to undo and retie this string at every 
time he says his prayers and on several occasions which 
for shame can not be mentioned, never to let the hearth- 
fire go out, never to blow his breath on any fire, to be 
charitable, to wear the Parsee dress, and to take a 
proper interest in Parsee customs and ceremonies gen- 




" A Dastoor.' 



6o INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"A dog goes on all fours like a child." — Zend-Avesta 13: 153. 

erally. He keeps up the customs, but often in con- 
versation ridicules them at the same time. 

They marry early in life, but child-marriage is not 
common, " Marry for love and then work for mon- 
ney " has not yet become a proverb among' these people. 
The priest often arranges the engagement, consulting 
the parents. The parents may or may not consult the 
children. But when the lad's parents send a present 
of a sari (dress) for the girl, and the girl's parents 
send some similar present for the boy, then both pres- 
ents accepted, the boy and girl are engaged for good. 
A Hindoo astrologer is called to fix the date, a lucky 
day, for both the exchange of presents and for the 
marriage which comes later. 

The wedding season is a time of festivities. We 
have attended these weddings not a few. Toward 
evening all guests assemble at the house of the bride- 
groom, and all together preceded by a band of music, 
go walking to the house of the bride. In procession, 
the bridegroom and the priests come after the band, 
then the men and boys all together follow slowly, talk- 
ing, chatting with one another on any subject. After 
the men in like manner come the women by themselves. 

At the last wedding I attended I remarked to a Hin- 
doo friend as we walked along: "This is interesting 
from a standpoint of religions. Hindoos, Parsees, 
Mahomedans, and Christians are all here. You used 
not to have Christians present o\^ these occasions." 
He answered, " No, but we'll all be Christians bv and 
by." 

The bride and the bridegroom are seated side b}' side 



THE PARSEES. 6l 

" When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child." — 
I Cor. 13: II. 

on ornamental chairs, and two officiating priests with 
long white robes and white turbans stand before them. 
The ceremony is in Zend and Sanscrit, with occasional 
explanations in. Gujerati, and lasts usually about an 
hour. The priests know the words by heart. They 
speak alternately at times and sometimes they intone 
it in concert. One frequently throws handfuls of rice 
on the bride, the other on the bridegroom, as the cere- 
monies proceed. 

By the side of each priest stands a married man. 
These two are the legal witnesses. The one is watness 
for the bride, and is a relative of her family, while the 
other bears the same relation to the bridegroom and 
his people. These witnesses are consecrated for the 
special occasion, in a ceremony which seems for all 
the world like the marriage ceremony itself. The 
witnesses too, while this little preparatory service is 
going on, often joke with themselves as to which of 
them is bride and which bridegroom. 

At the close of the first part of the marriage cere- 
monies, the young couple have a kind of a wish-bone 
game, to see which must obey. In this there is a 
lively interest. Of course, it is all in fun. A cloth 
is held up between the two and dropped without warn- 
ing. Then of the two young hopefuls the first to 
throw a bit of rice upon the other is the winner. 
They pitch a rupee or throw dice or have other such 
amusements, all to the same end. 

This is followed by feasting and wines and a gen- 
eral good time. The wedding party goes to the fire 



62 India; a problem. 

" I have made every land dear to its dwellers." — Zend-Avesta i : 2. 

temple for certain ceremonies, and after they return, 
between twelve and two o'clock at night, the cere- 
monies are all done over again, which completes the 
marriage. 

On arising in the m^orning, the first thing a good 
Parsee does is to snap thumb and finger of the left 
hand repeatedly and utter a prayer to drive the devil 
away : " Sagastha, sagastha sataan," etc., which 
means : Go away devil, go off to where you belong.^ 
At sneezing, the same thing is done. 

Then upon the embers of the last night's fire, san- 
dal wood is placed for kindling. And a fan is used to 
fan the flames. The breath is regarded impure, and 
they never " blow the fire." 

And the fire is sacred. Though all do worship to- 
ward the sun, they generally reject the idea of wor- 
shiping fire in any way whatever. They say fire is 
purifying, and is the most pure and perfect created 
thing, fitting emblem of God. Therefore they Jionor 
it. Dosabhai Framji Karaka, C. S. L says, " Fire is a 
symbol of divinity in our eyes, and nothing more. In 
this we resemble the church of Rome." 

As Christians close their eyes in prayer, so Parsees 
light up a fire (usually of sandal wood) to look at 
while they go over their prayers. Or they stand fac- 
ing the rising sun in the morning, or the setting sun 
in the evening time. Of the sun they say, " What 

* Destruction, destruction to Satan, 
Let Harriman go to hell. 
All evil be far from me. 
O thou merciful God, 
Place thy kind and merciful hand upon my head. 



THE PARSERS. 63 

" In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place 
for you." — John 14: 2. 

could we do without it? It is the greatest agent of 
God." 

Often as they sit saying the prayers, a bit of white 
doth is tied over the mouth, so that no unholy saliva 
may fall on the holy fire or on the holy book before 
them. 

At the lighting of a lamp in the evening all Parsees 
will look toward the lamp and with both hands clasped 
as if to pray will say " Sahibji." That word is the 
Gujerati equivalent of Salaam, a term of greeting all 
over the East. 

Air, earth and water are hkewise sacred to the Par- 
see. A most desirable place to stand and say prayers 
is by the sea or by a running stream, facing the sun 
as it sinks into the west. He first touches his fingers 
to the sacred waters and applies a little to his face, un- 
does and reties his sacred string, and then repeats the 
prayers. 

Aside from the above and the next practice de- 
scribed, they are not idolaters at all. They believe in 
God the Father of ah. But they have a waning belief 
that Harriman (the devil), created evil; and God cre- 
ated the good. They have no fasts, no idea of sacri- 
fice offerings, no doctrine of atonement, and no sav- 
ior from their sins. 

The bull takes a peculiar place in the Parsee reli- 
gion, and they will not touch beef to eat it. That is, 
those who remain orthodox will not eat it. It seems 
too foolish to tell, but in the purification ceremony be- 
fore saying prayers urine of bulls is always used. 



64 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" He who kills one of those water dogs shall pay ten thousand stripes." 
Zend-Avesta i^^: 4- 

They take it in the hands and apply a little to the 
face, to the arms, and to the hands. At stated 
times a bit is taken into the mouth. In the fire-temple 
the dastoor has a supply which he consecrates with 
ceremonies. It is tcro before the consecration, and 
nirang afterward. This nirang is delivered to the 
house of those requiring it, and many there are who 
think that there is a chemical change accomplished by 
the dastoor's ceremonies. This is a sort of transub- 
stantiation doctrine, the absurdity of which even those 
who believe in another transubstantiation will easily 
see. 

And when a corpse is removed from the house, the 
place where the body had lain is sprinkled with this 
urina bovis. Also the way over which the corpse is 
carried for a short distance from the house is likewise 
sprinkled. 

When the Parsee thinks of " crossing over the 
river," he thinks of a big bridge, known among them 
as the Chinvat Bridge. All must pass over the bridge, 
which is like a tremendous razor. When the pious 
soul comes to pass over, the bridge turns flat side up 
and is perfectly safe. But when a bad Parsee goes 
to cross, the sharp side turns up, and before he can 
get across he is sure to fall off down into hell. 

At the approach of death, while he is vet living, 
the Parsee is washed and dressed and the dastoor 
says prayers over him. When life is extinct, the body 
is placed upon a stone on the floor. No one but the 
bearers of the dead will touch a dead bodv. These 



THE PARSERS. 



65 



" He which converteth a sinner from the error of his way shall save 
a sovtI from death." — ^James 5: 20. 

bearers of the dead become a kind of a separate 
caste, and no other Parsee will give his son or daugh- 
ter in marriage to any child of theirs. A corpse is 
considered unclean. 

Soon after death a dog is brought in, and if he can 
be induced to look into the face of the dead, that is 
a good omen, but if he will not look that way, it is a 
bad omen for the soul of the dead. The dog al- 
ways goes along to the funeral. Once a funeral was 
passing our house, and the dog got away. They 
wished to borrow our dog, and — but why should I tell 
that here? 

From the time of death a dastoor is kept mutter- 
ing prayers near the bod}^, and a fire of sandal wood 
is kept burning. As soon 
as convenient thereafter, 
the funeral takes place. 
The bearers of the dead 
placing the corpse on an 
iron bier carry it upon 
their shoulders to the tow- 
ers of silence, the men fol- 
lowing at a short distance 
behind. In the towers, it 
is soon disposed of by the ever present vultures. 

Prayers are said for the dead, especially till the 
completion of the third day. They think the soul lin- 
gers near the place of death to the end of the third 
day, and then goes to its long home. 

Until the third day people gather at the house 




" The towers.' 



66 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" I invoke the eternal and sovereign luminous space." — Zend- 
A-vesta 19:114. 

and sit there in sympathy with the bereaved. There 
is not room in the inside, so, long benches are placed 
outside. It is a mark of respect, and there is no 
feasting connected with it. This is decidedly to their 
credit. It has always seemed to me to be most un- 
fortunate, whether it be heathen or otherwise, to make 
days of mourning a feasting time. 

A Parsee feels that three words are the sum of 
all good. They are " good thoughts, good words, good 
deeds." These are the measure of his religious am- 
bition. If he be successful in these three things, he 
feels that the bridge will be broad when he comes 
to go over. The expression reminds us of a refrain 
of one of the Middle-English poets, " In thought, 
in worde, in dede." 

Now the problem is, with this 
social and charitable people, to get 
them to see that Jesus is their Sav- 
ior as well as ours. They rely up- 
on their " good thoughts, good 
words, good deeds," to get into 
heaven, and though relying on 
these things I think they all will 
admit that none of them is perfect. 
T h e y are a splendid people. 
Among their women may be seen 
many a noble face. There are no 
Parsee soldiers. There is no legal divorce with them. 
And while we all see the necessity of their having a 
Savior, the problem is to get them to see it. 




■ A noble face." 



THE BUDDHISTS. 

Chapter Five. 

"Rejoice evermore." — i Thess. S- i6. 

About a hundred miles from Benares, the sacred 
city of the Brahmins, in the sixth century before 
Christ,^ Hved Suddhodana, ruler of the Sakya tribe, 
with Maya his wife. After many years they had a 
son they named Siddhartha. According to the ac- 
counts of many Buddhists, he entered his mother in 
the form of a white elephant. 
At his birth they say he took 
seven steps, in each foot- 
print a lotus grew, and he 
said aloud : " I am the chief 
of the world." And then it 
rained flowers from the skies. 

His family name was Gau- " ^^'^"'^ elephant." 

tama. He was a Kshatria by caste, a warrior raj put. 
At the age of sixteen he was married to Yasodhara, 
the daughter of a king. It was the desire of his par- 
ents that he should be a leader in things political, 
but he himself preferred to solve religious problems. 
When his wife gave birth to a son, he felt that this 
was only one more worldly tie to bind him, and then 
and there resolved to become an ascetic. And they say, 
he left home that very night, without so much as hav- 
ing seen the baby. This is called by Buddhists, " The 

1 This date can easily be remembered by the law of association. Bud- 
dha was born in the sixth century B. C, and Mahomed in the sixth cen- 
tury A. D. 

67 




68 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Men grow old, sicken and die. That is enough to take away the zest 
of life." — Buddhist Saying. 

Great Renunciation." He had seen before an old man, 
whom he lool<ed upon as a god, come to him as an 
old and decrepit man, then he saw him as a sick 
and dying man, and then as a dead and putrefying 
body. And this had so set him to thinking, that 
he became more and more dissatisfied with the life 
he was living. On the day the child was born, the 
same old man appeared to him as an ascetic enjoy- 
ing the fullness of inward peace. That settled it for 
him. 

He took to the study of Brahmin doctrines, but 
found no satisfaction in these. For some six years 
he gave himself to cruel self-inflicted tortures of the 
body, and penances and austerities, and lived in a 
cave of the mountain. Continuing this thing to the 
utmost, one day he fell into a swoon and lay help- 
less upon the earth. When he recovered he had some- 
what changed his theology, for he declared to those 
with him that this was not the way of arriving at 
the truth but that the secret lay in simply living a holy 
life. 

His companions were grieved at this change of 
mind, for they had followed him in all his austerities, 
and were become his disciples, so now they deserted 
him. Once more alone, he went into a review of 
his life, dwelling in the open under a sacred fig tree. 
There in meditation, the Buddhists say, he fought the 
matter out till he came oft' conqueror, till all myster- 
ies had vanished, life and suft'ering' were understood, 
and he had settled the questions of his own exist- 



THE BUDDHISTS. 69 

"Pray without ceasing." — i Thess. 5: 17. 

ence, having the perfect knowledge. After that he was 
to be known as Buddha, the enhghtened, the wise. 

In caste-curst tropical India, life, not only human 
life, but all life is more or less a continuation of sor- 
row and pain. So Buddha, believing in transmigra- 
tion, evolved the idea that if we were not born, we 
would be free from old age, sickness and death, there- 
fore the cause of these evils is birth. Ignorance was 
thought to be the cause then of this continued exist- 
ence, and therefore with the removal of ignorance, 
all its miseries would be nipped in the bud. 

It amounts to this : 

" Sorrow " is necessary to existence. 

" Desire " is the cause of sorrow. 

" Extinction " is the only release from sorrow. 

The way to extinction is by the eightfold path : 
Right belief, Right purpose. Right words, Right life. 
Right actions, Right effort. Right thinking. Right 
meditation. 

There is no soul, no God. If man can do any- 
thing to bring about the end of continuance, it is 
good to do so. His aim is to become non-cognizant 
of the fact that he exists. He must do good and be 
good, living thoroughly separated from the desires 
of the flesh. And when the light of life goes out, 
of one who has attained, according to Buddhism, it 
goes out like the light of a candle. 

The last words of Buddha are said to be : " Be 
earnest, be thoughtful, be holy. Keep steadfast ; 
watch over your hearts. He Avho holds fast to the 
law and discipline, and faints not, he shall cross the 
ocean of life, and make an end of sorrow." 



70 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Prayers arc vain repetitions." — Buddhist Saying, 

And the immediate cause of his death, when at the 
age of eighty years, was that he ate too much pork 
at a meal given him by one of his disciples while 
at the town of Pava. 

Buddhism is not classified as an organic religion, 
though it was formerly missionary. For a time it 
seemed that it would become the 
religion of India, but again the 
tide turned and at the present 
only a few thousand in India 
proper are actually Buddhists. 
In Burma and in Ceylon, how- 
ever, it is the prevailing religion. 
They are free from caste in Bur- 
ma, and the young people are 
more or less free to have a hand 
in making their own marriages. 
Early in the morning large num- 
bers of monks may be seen in 
all the towns and villages of 
Burma, out for food Avith begging bowl in their 
hand. They go barefooted and bareheaded, and take 
what is given them, never asking for anything. These 
monks wear the yellow robes prescribed, must go 
smooth shaven, and use the utmost care so as not to 
take any life. With this latter in mind he carries a 
strainer to be sure he takes no life in the water he 
drinks. 

Many Buddhists make a vow always to reserve part 
of the meal for the monks. This is done before it 
is prepared. A woman kneels down on the roadside 




" Monks may be seen." 



THE BUDDHISTS. 



71 



" Do good to them that hate you." — Matt. 5 : 44. 

when the monks pass, and a man pays reverent salaams 
when coming into the presence of one. A monk is 
not to use perfumes, not to attend parties or dances, 


















\J^. 



" A man pays reverent salaams." 

not to use high beds, not to eat in the afternoon, and 
not to receive gold or silver. There are not wanting 
though, those who violate the rules, and as to the 
gold and silver they cover it over with a kerchief 
if any one would give. 

The elder monks are supposed to have attained mas- 



72 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Blessed is he who overcomes sin and is free from passion." — • 
Buddhist Saying. 

tery over themselves, which is the one great aim. 
These give more time to meditation than the younger, 
who are regarded as novices. These novices get up 
before day, do the morning chores, and then go aside 
to meditate. In going to beg, the younger accom- 
panies the elder, and when they return he washes the 
elder's feet, washes his bowl, and cooks his rice. 
Thus the younger serves an apprenticeship, and is 
learner from the other. These young men do the 
copying of manuscripts, the oldest of which does not 
date back further than 350 B. C. 

In Burma the Buddhists will take no life, but, I 
am told, they enjoy eating meat if some one else kills 
it for them. They bury their dead, except in the 
case of superior monks. 

When a distinguished monk dies, great honors are 
paid to him. Immediately after death, an incision is 
made, the bowels are taken out and the body em- 
balmed. The corpse is closely wrapped with band- 
ages, and well varnished. Then it is placed between 
two solid pieces of wood hollowed out for the pur- 
pose, and boiling resin is poured into the crevices. 
This completed, the coffin is gilded and placed on a 
platform under a decorated canopy in one of the 
rooms of the monastery, and there remains till the 
time of the cremation, which comes some months later. 

On the morning of the funeral, the coffin is taken 
from its place and put inside a lofty bier, set upon 
a large car with four or more wheels, and drawn 
by bullocks to the cemeterv. On arrival there, the 



THE BUDDHISTS. 73 

" Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee." — 
Psalms 55 : 22. 

bullocks are taken out, and ropes are fixed to the 
front and back of the car which are quickly seized 
by a number of men, one party pulling the car to- 
ward the monastery where the deceased lived, and the 
the other pulling it tov/ard the cemetery. The car 
moves slowly backwards and forwards, creaking and 
shaking, until at last, with shouts of delight, the 
stronger party carries it off. 

When the bier reaches the center of the cemetery, 
heaps of inflammable matter are piled up about it, 
and it is speedily burned. Ceremonies last a week 
or more. Ornamental cars, or gigantic figures of men, 
women, elephants, dragons, and other fantastic forms 
are sent. These are seized by the men who dance 
about with them, to the accompaniment of music and 
singing. Other amusements are provided for the 
crowd, such as wrestling matches, pony races and 
puppet shows, while dramatic performances continue 
all through the night.^ 

The white elephant is held as being peculiarly sa- 
cred, perhaps because of the legend as to the birth 
of Buddha. They think the white elephant in some 
future birth will be a Buddha. 

They set much store on sacred foot-prints, and oth- 
er such things. There is the peak in Ceylon, called 
Adami's Peak, where many persons believe God com- 
pelled xA-dam after the fall to stand on one foot on the 
top of the mountain for ages till he pardoned him. 
The footprint is nearly six feet long, and wide in pro- 

^ " Burma and the Burmese," 



74 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Birth is sorrowful, growth is sorrowful, illness is sorrowful, death is 
sorrowful." — Buddhist Saying. 

portion, and requires a wide stretch of the imagination 
to see the print. However, Mahomedans say it was 
Adam's foot, Hindoos say it was Shiva's foot, and 
Buddhists say it was Buddha's foot that left the 
impress there. The place is now held 
by the Buddhists, and while all vo- 
taries are welcome, none may stay 
there over the night. 

They worship many other sacred 
footprints and relics. The tooth of Buddha is a sa- 




■ Tooth of Buddha." 




Great pagodas in Burma. 



THE BUDDHISTS. 



75 



"Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." — Rom. 12: 21. 

cred thing now, and there are sacred footprints in 
various parts of the country. The image of Buddha 
is everywhere to be seen in connection with Buddhist 

worship. Great pagodas in 
Burma always have their 
Buddhas. It seems a 
strange comment on a reli- 
gion that leaves God out of 
its theology, that the image 
of the founder himself should 
become an object of such 
general veneration. 

Buddhists can scarcely be 
said to pray. Buddha is sup- 
posed to have entered nir- 
vana. A common formula 
of worship is this : 

I make Buddha my refuge. 




" Image of the founder." 



I make his law my refuge. 

I make his assembly my refuge. 

Among Thibetan Buddhists the common 
prayer wheel is seen at the doors of tem- 
ples, at the entrances of houses, and often 
anywhere else. Upon entering a temple 
the wheel at the door is given a whirl, 
and the written prayers on the inside are 
counted as said every time they go around. 
When seated, the suppliant makes three 
prostrations to the floor, and then begins 
his worship with, " Om Mani Padmi hom," 
which means about, " Hail Mighty One, 




■ These are twirled.' 



76 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" The man that dwells in lonely woods and yet covets vanities, is a 
worldling." — Buddhist Saying. 

Jewel On the Lotus, Amen ! " And at the close of 
his devotions, he makes again the three prostrations, 
and as he goes out gives the wheel at the door an- 
other whirl. 

There are hand wheels, too, which are a sort of 
private devotions machine, in that those who have 
them have each one his own. These are twirled 
round and round, with the prayers on the inside, the 
owner meanwhile doing anything he wishes to do. 
Little flags are also used, with the prayers written 
on them, and as these flutter in the breeze, they 
count as so many prayers said. Also prayers are af- 
fixed to water-wheels, that no time may be lost in 
praying, and yet the individual not lack in storing up 
religious merit. 

Perhaps next to Hindooism is Buddhism all divided 
into sects and schisms. But while Hindooism is di- 
vided by caste and each man thinks as he pleases, 
Buddhism is divided by differences in little notions 
of belief and theory. 

The Jain religion is often thought to be a split off 
the Buddhist, but I am not inclined to think so. It 
perhaps had its origin about the same time as the 
other, but ran counterpart with it. It seems to have 
more in common with Hindooism than with Buddhism, 
for they keep caste, and have child marriage. They 
are more numerous in India proper than Buddhists 
Their temples are a common sight in some of the 
western cities. Their chief point seems to be their 
regard for animal life. It may well be said that 
their highest idea of right is not to hurt any liv- 



THE BUDDHISTS. J"] 

"Trust in the Lord, and do good: so shalt thou dwell in the land." — 
Psalm 37: 3. 

ing thing-. It is these people largely who keep up 
the animal hospitals referred to in a later chapter. 
In order that he may cause no death, the Jain strains 
the water he drinks, wears a cloth tied over his mouth, 
sweeps the ground before he walks there, lies still if an 
insect bite him, and does such other " acts of mercy." 

They too have their divisions. One case many 
years ago was on a matter which seemed perhaps 
of some import to them. The ascetics of the north 
and west were in the habit of wearing white cloth- 
ing, while those of the south wore practically none. 
The southern faction tried to coerce the other and have 
their sunshine uniform adopted, but failed. It seems 
childish that any mortals should divide over a matter of 
that kind. But they divided on that very thing. 

A Jain convert to Christianity has given me a book 



« in'i.vifrpi ^.tpffem mii4i^m mmiime) aia'rewwnr ' 

-I ^iapj-i4i<!^ fnrpint 
" From which he used to say prayers.'" 



78 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Self is an error, an illusion, a dream." — Buddhist Sailing. 

from which he used to say prayers. And a Httle 
picture of the Buddha is with it which he used to 
look at during the prayers and regard as the very 
god. The book is entirely written by hand, as all 
Jains and Hindoos regard the written book as being 
the most sacred. The Chinese regard the printed 
book as the more sacred. This brother laughs when 
he is told by some of his former co-religionists that 
there are believers in the Jain and Buddhist religions 
in America. He knows what it is and wonders very 
much if there be any American so foolish, — which he 
reasonably doubts. 

The Sikhs are yet another people in India, who 
follow generally the rites and ceremonies of Brah- 
minism, but have no more in common with Bud- 
dhists and Jains than the desire to break away from 
the old isms and form a better religion. Their or- 
igin was in the fifteenth century. 

The founder, Nanak Sahib, made an endeavor to 
get the good out of the Hindoo and Mahomedan re- 
ligions, and so create a religion that both sides could 
accept. His followers became in time a strong and 
war-like people. Both Nanak and Kabir, another re- 
former whose tenets Nanak seems to have followed 
rather closely, apparently got some of their doctrines 
from Buddhism and others from Christianity. 

All these endeavors Avere apparently honest efforts, 
for I think we should give them for the most part 
the credit of being honest, to save themselves and 
those with them. Hindooism is God without morality ; 
Buddhism is moralitv without God. What strong 



THE BUDDHISTS. 



79 



"He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool." — Prov. 28: 26. 

religion, what strong doctrine is that of Buddha, 
" Be pure, be holy," yet how unsuccessful are all 
his efforts to attain to this great desire of an honest 
man. The idea of being calm and self-controlled and 
passion-subdued and free from covetousness is noble 
in the extreme, it is the Christian idea, and the races 
of earth, some of them, have been striving for it with 
remarkable endurance, yet without success, because 
they knew not the Way. The Lord Jesus is the One 
in ten thousand to fill the vacant place in these myriad 
human hearts. The problem is to get them to try 
Him, whom to know is life eternal, glorified. And it 
falls to Christians to nobly solve this problem. 




" Calm and self-controlled.'' 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 



Chapter Six. 



" To God belongeth the east and the west; God is 
omnipresent and omniscient." — Koran 2: 115. 



^ 




GREAT Arab, Mahomed, was born in 
the sixth century A. D. They say that 
when Abdulla the Koreishite and Amina, 
the parents of the great Arab, were mar- 
ried, on that same night two hundred 
Koreish girls died of broken hearts. 
They say that when the great Arab was born, he 
opened his eyes and said : " God is great. There is 
no God but God, and I am His prophet." And they 
say that on that same night when he was born all 
the sacred fires of the Parsees went out, all the idols 
in the world fell down, and the River Tigris over- 
flowed its banks. 

He was a thoughtful, sentimental, tactful youth, 
with business insight and qualities of leadership 
strongly developed. He was of more than ordinary 
intelligence, and quite inclined to religion. Being 
brought up in the house of the keeper of the Kaaba, 
the religious idea was early developed, and never 
learning to read or write, bias was never relieved. 
At the age of twenty-five he was married to Ka- 
dija, a rich widow, who emphatically believed in her 

80 



tHE MAHOMEDANS. 8i 

''What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." — 
Matt. 19: 6. 

husband, and persuaded him of his greatness. Soon 
after her death he married Sada, and was engaged 
to the Httle daughter of Abu Bekr, Ayesha, whom he 
married when she was nine years old. Then he mar- 
ried Hafza, and Hend, and one Zeinab. The second 
Zeinab was divorced by her husband Zeid, that Ma- 
homed might tal<:e her. Then he married Bama, an- 
other case hke that of Zeinab's. Then he took Ri- 
hana, a Jewess, and next Safiya, another grass-widow. 
When he married Omm Habiba, it made her father 
angry, for he exclaimed, " By heaven, this camel 
is so rampant that no muzzle can restrain him." His 
twelfth wife was Maimuna, also a widow. Nine of 
his wives were widows of one or the other sort be- 
fore he took them, and I am informed that at his 
death nine of them were living. Wonderful Prophet ! 

More than once in conversation with the followers 
of the great Arab, they have zealously preached up 
the leadership of their prophet. Then, to put a qui- 
etus on their blind zeal, I have said, " If I were in 
search of a prophet, and did not know of Jesus the 
Lord, I would rather have you for my prophet than 
Mahomed Sahib.'"' 

" Why so. Sahib ? " is the invariable answer. 

" Because, how many wives have you got ? " 

" One." 

" Well, morally, you are a better man than Ma- 
homed Sahib, and so am I. When he died he left 
nine widows. There is nothing praiseworthy about 



82 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Take in marriage such women as please you, two, or three, or four, 
and not more." — Koran 4: 3. 

that, and if I were in search of a prophet, I would 
go in for the best I could get." 

It is a bit of honest flattery that often works well. 

The Koran allows four wives, and one is sur- 
prised to find so many men actually having but one 
wife. Seeing the bright side, and knowing something 



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" The Koran allows four.' 



of the prophet's life, and something too of the book 
they believe in, I say I was surprised to find so 
many Mahomedans with but one wife. 

Of course there is abundance of the opposite. Mor- 
ality is at a very low ebb among them, lower perhaps 
than It is among Hindoos. In some sections of the 
community the rule of temporary marriage is in vogue. 
They may marry for any length of time, and then 
separate. A man can divorce his wife for almost 
any cause, and then remarry. If she is then re- 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 83 

"The husband of one wife." — i Tim. 3: 12. 

married and divorced he may marry her again, but 
not otherwise. A man may have both wives and con- 
cubines, and stand well in society. Cases have been 
found where the first and second wives were per- 
manent, but third and fourth were frequently divorced. 
In India it is not as bad as in Mahomedan countries, 
for sentiment is working the other way. It is not 
uncomm.on now that a husband is asked before mar- 
riage for a document whereby he agrees to pay his wife 
a fabulous sum beforehand if he ever wants to di- 
vorce her. A wife cannot divorce a husband. She 
can ask him to divorce her, and if he does, she has 
her end accomplished, but if he does not, that is 
the end of it. 

With this plurality of wives is also closely asso- 
ciated the zenana system. A zenana lady is one who 
is kept in seclusion, or "behind the purda " (screen). 
The custom of zenana was brought to India by the 
Mahomedans. 

The lust of Mahomed was doubtless the origin of 
it. He came suddenly into the apartments of Zeid, 
when he was not at home, and there saw Zeinab, 
the wife of Zeid, when she was not prepared for 
company. She told Zeid, who gave her to the proph- 
et. Soon after this the thirty-third chapter of the 
Koran was revealed to him to- smooth matters over, 
and women were to be kept in seclusion, especially 
the prophet's own women. It was like an opium 
eater declaring that he would never touch opium again. 

In the north of India where Mahomedanism is deep- 



84 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" If they turn back from the faith, take them and kill them wherever 
ye find them." — Koran 4: 88. 

est rooted this zenana life is most common, while in 
the south and west there is much more freedom 
given to all women. You will see on the streets of 
Bombay many more women than on the streets of 
Allahabad. For whatever is the fashion many will 
follow. 

Zenana life is not conducive to good. It fosters ig- 
norance, cultivates deception, breeds disease, provokes 
lust, and causes the severest jealousies. One mis- 
sionary lady tells it that she has been asked nearly 
a hundred times in these zenanas for any powerful 
drug to accomplish the desire of some poor penned 
up and jealous creature. 

As one would naturally suppose, if the people are 
anything like their prophet, they are lustful in the 
extreme. A man wants to have as many wives 
as he can afford, as many as he can keep, wives or 
concubines. The woman does not stand as having 
any dignity at all. A Hindoo woman or man may 
occasionally go about in Mahomedan dress so as to 
avoid being questioned. During the famine, Mahom- 
edan men gathered up little girls wherever they could. 
They never wanted boys ! And what they could not 
get for nothing they were ready to buy at a fair 
price. My wife was in the woman's apartments of 
the railwa}' train once when she noticed a Mahomedan 
come and give water to two big, half-starved, shab- 
bily-dressed girls who sat not far from her. She sus- 
picioncd at once, and asked the girls where they 
were going. They replied that the man was taking 
them to Bombay where he said he would give them 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 



85 



" The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus 
Christ." — John i: 17. 

a home. Wife was helpless, but felt sure of the re- 
sult. Again, she was asked to buy three girls whom 
their father wished to sell. It was his last resort. 
Later she saw them standing together in front of 
a house of ill-fame, " bought." The price paid was 
two dollars each ! 

As a general thing they are merchants, traders, 
dealers, or butchers. The butchers 
of a town are almost always Mahom- 
edans. And they grow into the trad- 
ing idea from early childhood. Ped- 
dlers are frequently Mahomedans. 
There is no conscience as to the price 
asked for an article. The only ques- 
tion is, Will the purchaser give it? 
I have seen them ask fifteen or twen- 
ty times the worth of a thing. It is 
quite common when buying to con- 
sider the worth of an article as half the price asked. 
A Mahomedan dealer will cheat you nine times out 
of ten. One has to learn to buy from them like 
he has to learn any other trade. A boy will begin 
by selling pencils and writing paper, or bone but- 
tons, or shoe strings or matches. He keeps at it 
till he is a man with a decent little shop on some 
public street corner, with perhaps another little Ma- 
homedan walking in his footsteps. 

The Mahomedan has a great deal of the sticking 
quality, which often means a quarrel. He thinks what 
he don't know is not worth knowing. And he thinks 




Merchants." 



86 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" If a man or a woman steal, cut off their hands; this is appointed by 
God." — Koran 5: 42. 

his own idea is of primary importance. He is dom- 
ineering- and overbearing, and often has the hardest 
of hearts. An English Government official once re- 
marked in my hearing, " The Mahomedans are a stiff- 
necked lot." And he spoke not without reason, for 




" A decent little shop." 

an order had been issued that all the people should 
vacate tlieir houses for plague operations. Plague 
was raging. The Hindoos and all the other people 
were yielding to the wish of Government, but the 
Mahomedans would not be persuaded. They said that 
if Alia (God) wanted them to die they would die 
anyhow, and if He wished them to remain alive, the 
plague nor nothing else could hurt them. 

Another incident will illustrate. I had agreed to 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 87 

"See that none render evil for evil unto any man." — i Thess. 5: 15. 

take some lime from a Bulsar JMahomedan, and went 
to his house to see it measured. The cart was load- 
ed by boxfuls, and one or two boxes weighed, so as 
to get an average. When I arrived, the first box hav- 
ing been filled, was weighed in my presence. Hav- 
ing doubts, as the men were filling, I asked them to 
weigh another box, and then another, and found that 
the first box had been specially packed for weighing. 
And so I saved five pounds on the box. Their man 
was keeping tally, and I was. After a time I asked 
to compare tallies, and found that they had scored 
several more than actually were taken out. I began 
to argue that I was right, and we came apparently 
toward having a fuss. Then we dropped it, at my 
suggestion. Meanwhile, I talked to the other tally 
man, and having learned that he had just been mar- 
ried, I asked him how he liked his new wife, was 
she stout, was she good looking, how tall was she, 
how old was she, how did she compare with his 
former wife, which he liked better, etc. He was in- 
terested in these things. I was gaining my point too. 
In the evenitig I asked for the tally, and he gave 
his authoritatively enough. I said it was wrong. 
Then they called in other Mahomedans to help set- 
tle it, — as if a crowd would better the matter. I 
insisted that I would pay according to the correct 
account, and that there was a difference of twelve 
boxes. They refused to settle, and I refused to pay. 
There was a great warmth of discussion and a won- 
derful display of words, — idle words. I said that I 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" Give life for life, and eye for eye, and nose for nose, and ear for 
ear, and tooth for tooth." — Koran 5: 149. 

would go home if we could not settle. Then they 
coaxed. I asked them to fig-ure up their total in ru- 
pees so that we could see what the real difference 
was, and said I would also figure it up. We did 
so, and mine was more than theirs ! Then they 
asked in all seriousness, " Sahib, how many boxes 
did you count ? " To which I quietly remarked that 
I had counted correctly, and had twelve more than 
they had. How the tables turned ! How they opened 
their eyes to realize an honest man among them ! Of 
course they agreed with my tally, and what is more 
they fell to cursing their tally man ! I was glad the 
error was not on the other side, — and so were they ! 
Mahomedans are jealous, suspicious, without mercv, 
selfish, and most conceited. However, they are not 
without commendable phases of 
character too. There are some 
62,000,000 of them in India. 
The king of England rules over 
more Mahomedans than the 
Sultan of Turkey. And the 
Indian jMahomedan surpasses 
those of any other country in 
being affable, reasonable, liber- 
al-minded, and inclined more 
and more toward education. 

Orthodox ]\Iahomedans pray five times a day. Five 
times a day the muezzin from the minarets of the 
mosque calls the faithful to prayer. Many come in- 
to the mosque then, and first washing the hands and 
face and feet in the pool of water kept there for 




THE MAHOMEDANS. 



89 



** An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth : I say unto you, That ye 
resist not evil." — Matt. 5: 39, 

the purpose, they proceed with the prayers. At 
prayers each man occupies a place marked on the 
stone floor, which is just large enough for him as 




Many come into the mosque.' 



he either sits, or at the motion of the leader, bows 
his face to the ground. This is a solemn scene, for 
there is no attempt at display, no pictures on the 
wall, and no irregularity. 

And those who do not go to the mosque at the 



90 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Ye are not grounded on anything, until ye observe the law and the 
gospel." — Koran 5 : yz. 

time of prayer are supposed to spread out their prayer 
rug" upon the ground and go over the prayers wher- 
ever they are, with the face toward Mecca. The 
_ _ Koran was written in Ara- 

«^tJ&-'^",f^)i_y'>^>£^^^ bic, and their prayers are 

■^^;k^^J-:^ri^\^}hS ^^^ ""^ Arabic, and not usu- 
-H.-'l -o-Jv -',..«.._/',,,. .„ allv understood. Arabic is 
,«.'=.'. oo,," " 0.0,.. o,„„„ . r,„. thought to be the language 

"Written in Arabic." of Paradise, i know how- 

ever, that many of the 
modern Alahomedans do not pray five times a day. 
And the praters of those who do are not as the com- 
munion of a child with his father, but they are the 
prayers of necessity, a kind of tribute that has to be 
given to a despotic ruler. A merchant may stop ly- 
ing to say the pra3'-ers, and this done, return at once 
to lying again. Women are never found in the 
mosque. No one is allowed to enter the mosque with 
his shoes on. 

How many a good Christian prays like David of 
old, seven timics a day ! But ask him and he would 
not know, for he does not stop to count. He offers 
a short prayer, perhaps by his bedside when he arises 
in the morning, and when he retires in the evening. 
Then three times a day he eats, and not without the 
attendant blessing. And once a day is the general 
family worship, and once perhaps a time of secret 
devotions, yet he thinks not of how often he prays, 
but rather that his spirit may keep in continual touch 
with the Holy Spirit of God. Once a day briefly com- 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 



91 



" Yet count him not as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother." — 
2 Thess. 3: 15. 

mmiing with Him is better than five long repetitions 
of formality. 

What with false geography and contradictory teach- 
ings, Mahomedans hold as their greatest truth the 
unity of God. The watchword, so to speak, is the 
cry, the Kahma, " La-ilaha-il-lal-lahu wa Mahomed- 




" False geography." 



ur-Rasul-Ulla." There is no God but God, and Ma- 
homed is the prophet of God. This Is their confes- 
sion of faith. They believe, above all other non-Chris- 
tian religions, that the Creator and the things cre- 
ated are separate and distinct. And the idea of the 
one God has from their beginning been always 
to the front. They therefore are not idolaters at all, 
never making any concession to belief in the merits 
of any idol. In these three things, the belief in the 



92 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" But when Zeid had resolved to divorce her, we joined her in marriage 
unto thee." — Koran 33: 38. 

unity of God, the saying of prayers, and the avoid- 
ance of idols, in the persistent adherence to these three 
things, if not in spirit yet in form, we have the se- 
cret of Mahomedan strength. Of course to this 
must be added the gratification of every hist in the 
name of reHgion. It is the easy ivay of reHgion. 

Monotheists though they be, there is popular be- 
lief in charms, in exorcising of evil spirits, and in 
reverence to deceased saints. A case in point would 
be the dhooning about a grave, such as we have 
frequently seen. There are several tombs near a 
mosque where we have watched this thing done to 
perfection. Several men and women sit around a 
tomb, on mats spread out for the occasion. One aft- 
er another gets the spirit, the dhooning spirit, and 
when they get it properly, there is a lively time. 

They wail and groan and shout, and writhe and 
twist and bob their heads up and down in a most 
rapid manner. Their cry often runs about like this, 
" O mother let me go. Come now and let me go. 
I can't wait any longer. O come and set me free. 
Why do you keep me bound here? O mother let 
me go." 

Hearing this I asked who the mother was, and if 
their mother could not be persuaded to let them go. 
To which the answer was that the spirit of the de- 
parted was the mother and in them was calling for 
freedom. " But," I asked, " is there no other way by 
which the spirit could be freed than this ? " 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 



93 



"Be not deceived; God is not mocked." — Gal. 6: 7. 

'' Yes, if we would pour water around the tomb 
seven times, then the spirit would be free." 

" Well," said I, " I think I should prefer the wa- 
ter way." 

But they kept on. A professional gambler was sit- 
ting near. He began to roll his eyes about and look 
wild and scared. Perhaps he would prefer to spell 
it sacred. With many people the words scared and 
sacred are closely allied. I rejoice that I have not 
found it so. And then he got it. Oh, me! sitting on 
the ground close to the tomb he bobbed his poor head 

up and down till we 
almost thought his 
neck would break. 
Elocution classes 
take long inhalations, 
and then suddenly 
expel the breath with 
a loud "ha." But 
he could beat a whole 
elocution class. 
Presently he got 
through, and sitting 
erect, he wiped the 
great beads of per- 
spiration from his 
brow with his index 
finger. We hoped 
since he had got it so 
thoroughly that it 

A woman got it. ° •' 




94 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" No crime is to be charged on the prophet, as to what God hath allowed 
him." — Koran 33: 38. 

might change his Hfe somehow, but he continued the 
same gambler as before. 

A woman got it. The others caught her quickly and 
took her bangles off, for they were glass, and might 
not fare well if she should continue long. And it was 
well they did so, for she jumped and rolled and went 
on as if she were out of her mind. When we went 
home from this exhibition of religion, and thought it 
all over we were perplexed. These people seemed 
desperately in earnest. Some called it all a humbug. 
Others laughed and talked as the thing was carried 
on before them. And others certainly " had a peculiar 
feeling," and thought there was something in it. On 
general principles we withhold too harsh criticisms in 
such a matter, though we are far from believing in 
any such performance. 

I have known an evil spirit to be in a house, that is, 
I knew the people said it .was there. I went with 
others to see it. We sat late in the night and long in 
the day, but somehow, it would never appear when 
we were there, but before we had come and after we 
had gone it would perform its pranks. Finally, a Ma- 
homedan was called to burn salt in the house, say 
words, and thus exorcise the evil spirit. 

At the mention of the name of Mahomed, especially 
in writing, they usually add a parenthetical clause, 
" On whom be peace," or words similar. And they 
have their feasts and fasts according to their own man- 
ner. During the whole of the month of Ramzan they 
fast, and the way they do it is not to eat any food dur- 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 95 

" I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to 
you." — John 13: 15. 

ing the time the sun is up. But when the sun goes 
down, and just before it rises they make up for lost 
time. This is according to their scriptures. 

Christians are charged with reHgious persecution. 
But whenever a professed Christian did persecute, he 
did it contrary to the teachings of the Bible, but 
when Mahomedans persecute it is in accordance with 
the teaching of the Koran. They have unity of which 
they boast, but they are more seriously divided than 
Christians. The divisions of Sunni and Shiah will 
not intermarry, nor eat together, nor worship in the 
same mosque. There are divisions among them more 
numerous than infidels generally know, and each set 
thinks all others will go to hell. Non-J\Iahomedans 
are called infidels. 

Each male child is circumcised when it is small. 
Once in his life every Alahomedan aspires to make a 
pilgrimage to Mecca, the holy city. After death, as 
the corpse is borne away upon their shoulders, the 
crowd repeats constantly the La-ilaha. The leader 
calls out the cry, the whole party responds in unison. 
All take turns time and again as they go along, in 
helping to bear the corpse. The grave is dug to a 
proper depth, then abruptly made narrow, leaving on 
both sides a little offset. The body is placed in the 
grave without a coffin, into this narrow place, some 
small boards are laid crosswise over the body, resting 
however on the offset, and the earth is filled in. 

Death has no terrors for the Mahomedan, but at the 
mention of the judgment he quails. He expects to 



g6 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Good tidings of an apostle who shall come after me, and whose name 
shall be Ahmed." — Koran 6i : 6. 

go to heaven by virtue of his being a Mahomedan, 
whether good or bad, but there is a fear that some 
of them may have to spend much time in hell first be- 
fore they can go to heaven. They all believe in a fu- 
ture life. After the resurrection every Mahomedan 
expects to try to cross the bridge " finer than a hair 
and sharper than a sword," and if he fall down into 
the hell below, he still hopes to get out later. Heaven 
and hell are both eternal, and each has seven degrees. 

They believe in a multitude of angels, in a hun- 
dred and forty-four thousand prophets, in INIoses and 
the books of Moses, and in a way they believe in 
Jesus and the apostles too. As to the prophets, they 
argue that no prophet could sin, that God would 
not let them sin. And if one points out to them 
the sin of one or another of the prophets, they would 
rather sav that the Book was erratic than to admit 
that the prophet was. 

One m.ost inexcusable error into which they have 
fallen is that of the construction of the word para- 
clete, in the New* Testament. Instead of the Greek 
paraclctos, they insist on pcrichitos, which in mean- 
ing comes to be quite a dift'erent thing-. And in 
order to hide their baseness in changing the orig- 
inal word, they charge Christians with the sin of 
changing the Word from the original. Pcrichitos 
they assign as meaning Ahmed, and so they make 
out the case that Jesus, as recorded in John's Gospel, 
said that He would send ]\Iahomcd to guide his peo- 
ple into all truth. Reason and evidence usually count 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 97 

"To obey is better than sacrifice." — i Sam. 15: 22. 

for nothing when a man has previously made Up 
his mind as to how a thing- is or ought to be. 

Another surprising thing is the way in which Je- 
sus is disposed of among them. Of course the less 
educated believe these things, having no way to ap- 
ply the test. The story goes that when Jesus and 
the twelve went into a certain house, the Jews were 
after Him to kill Him. Gabriel came down through 
the roof and carried Jesus up out of the place to 
heaven that he might not be caught. Then when the 
Jews came into the house they could not find Him. 
But God changed the king of this crowd of ruffians 
so that he looked like Jesus, and the Jews seized 
hhn and took him out and killed him. He, however, 
all the time insisted that he was not Jesus, but was 
their own leader Shuyugh. After Shuyugh was cru- 
cified, that is after they thought they had killed Je- 
sus, the question arose as to where Shuyugh had 
got to. Then it was a matter of general doubt, for, 
said they, "If this were Jesus, where is Shuyugh? 
And if it were vShuyugh, then where is Jesus ? " 

There are a number of such fables, all disposing 
of Jesus without the atoning death, and without the 
resurrection. 

Mahomedanism is to-day a missionary religion, 
sending out its emissaries here and there to spread 
the religion. It is the only non-Christian religion 
that makes converts at all. And it is the bitterest 
of all against Christianity. Here is the old truth 
over again. A man with some of the truth, and yet 



9S 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" O true believers, let not the one of you speak ill of another in his 
absence." — Koran 49 : 12. 

not all of it, is the very hardest to lead to conver- 
sion. And again, those who are nearest alike, when 
there is a difference, often oppose each other most. 
Nov\^ the problem is to get these people, who have 
so much of the truth in theory, and who it seems 

ought to be in sym- 
p a t h y with all 
Christian reform 
movements, yet 
who are so persist- 
ently and doggedly 
opposed to all 
Christian effort, — 
the problem is to get 
them to accept the 
whole of the truth 
of God. 

Stubbornness is a 
splendid character- 
istic when once it is 
mellowed by the 
influences of godli- 
ness, for then it be- 
comes firmness, 
without which we 
have only weakness. 
And the Mahomedan, when he comes to see the Lord 
Jesus as his Savior, becomes at once the firmest and 
strongest and best kind of a cliild of righteousness. 
They make good leaders and organizers. The cases 




" Ought to be in sympathy.' 



THE MAHOMEDANS. 



99 



" Speak evil of no man." — Titus 3: 2. 

of this kind are not a few. Let us hope for them 
that God most high will be merciful, and lead them 
to the true knowledge of heavenly things, and give 
them wisdom from on high, and make them accord- 
ing to their capability a glorious people for Plimself. 




L.ofC. 



THE HINDOOS. 



Chapter Seven. 




'Know that I (Krishna), though actionless and 

inexhaustible, am the author of the 

castes." — Bhagavad Gita 4: 13. 

INDOOS, Hindoos, Hindoos. All 
over India four of every five men 
you meet are Hindoos. These will 
not all answer to one description 
however, for between the Panjabi 
of North India and the Tamili of 
South India there is more difference 

than there is between an EngHshman 

and an Italian. Between a Bengali 

baboo and a ]\Ialayali there is more 

difference than there is between a 

Scandinavian and a Portuguese. 
Indeed there is more in common 

between the average Hindoo and 

the average ATahomedan than there 

is between the two extremes of Hin- 

dooism. And the Hindoo and the 

Mahomedan are usually opposites. 

Their different religious ideas are in 

frequent war with each other. In 

theory, however, every one regards 

the other as a kind of stepbrother. 

In fact, it is every fellow for him- 
self. Hindooism, religion, salva- •• nr \ „ i, in,iia " 




THE HINDOOS. 



lOI 



^n 


J ^ 




% 


m 


1 



" Impossible for God to lie." — Heb. 6: iS. 

tion, life, God, — on 
the meaning- of such 
terms as these it is 
difficult to find two 
learned Hindoo pun- 
dits who would agree. 
In practice there is 
little freedom. Ev- 
ery one must follow 
his own caste, wheth- 
er he has faith in it or 
not, for caste rules 
the Hindoo world, not 
God. This caste sys- 
tem strikes one first, 
last and all the time 
as foolish, arbitrary, and exceedingly heathenish. 

Brahmins, the priest class are supposed to have 
sprung from the mouth of Brahm, the great creator. 
Kshatrias, the warrior class, are supposed to have 
sprung from the shoulders of Brahm the great cre- 
ator. Vaisyas, the merchant class, are supposed to 
have sprung from the thighs of Brahm the great cre- 
ator. And the Sudras, the laboring classes, are sup- 
posed to have sprung from the feet of Brahm the 
great creator. Then in addition to these there are 
large numbers, who are not in any of the four great 
castes, called out-castes, or pariahs. 

This caste division as we know it, and as it is 
given in the books, is known only among the higher 
castes and those who have been to school long enough 



' Of South India." 



I02 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Even if an evil person worship me and no other, he must' certainly be 
deemed good." — Bhagavad Gita i8: 71. 

to study history. The caste subdivisions are so nu- 
merous and so prominent that the majority of the 
people can not tell to which of these four great di- 
visions thev belong', .-^sk a mochi (shoemaker) if he 




" Brahmins." 

is a Sudra. He'll say, " No, sahib, I'm a mochi. Did 
sahib not know I was a mochi ? " Ask a derzi (tailor) 
if he is a Sudra. He'll say, "No, sahib, I'm a derzi. 
Did sahib not know that I was a derzi ? " Ask a 
kumbar (potter) if he is a Sudra. He'll say. " No, 
sahib, I'm not a Sudra. I'm a kumbar. Did you 
not know?" Ask a koli (one caste of farmers) if 
he is a Sudra. He'll answer, " No, sahib, I'm no 
Sudra. I'm a koli. Did sahib not know I was a 
koli ? " And so on we find it amon^- the common 



THE HINDOOS. 



103 



"And a little child shall lead them." — Isa 11: 6. 

people. They know only the name of their caste, 
as they must follow its particular customs, keep up 
its superstitions, and abide by its dicta. But the 
Brahmins know they are Brahmins though, and all 
others know it too. 

One of the most common ques- 
tions in India is, " Who are you ? " 
meaning " What is your caste ? " 
No one answers that question by 
giving his name. But he gives his 
caste. Herein is a difference. Ask 
my five-year-old little son who he is 
and he'll say, " I'm Emmert Sto- 
ver." But ask the highest and the 
oldest in India who he is and he'll 
say, " Tm a Brahmin." The first 
implies something, somebody, one. 
The second implies nobody in par- 
ticular, anybody in general, a frac- 
tion of a party. 
Caste cripples the natural laws that govern healthy 
society. For instance, caste generally counts more 
than merit. An office in the gift of a Brahmin will 
be given to a Brahmin candidate if at all possible, 
even though a Sudra candidate may be doubly well 
qualified to fill the office. And if a low caste man 
has some favor to bestow, he is sure to give it to 
one of his own caste. 

An educated man would rather marry an ignorant 
girl of his own caste than a bright, intelligent, re- 




' I'm Emmert Stover." 



I04 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" He that readeth this sacred, sin-destroying history of Rama, becometh 
cleansed from all sin." — Ramayana i : i : end. 

ligioiisly-inclined girl of a lower caste. Why? His 

religion demands it of him. 

I was with a Hindoo boy one day, when we met 

a man of the low- 
est caste. I pur- 
posely touched the 
low -caste man in 
a friendly way, 
knowing he would 
appreciate it. The 
lad kept his dis- 
tance for a little 
while, then half 
shyly yet confid- 
ingly said to me, 
" Your religion is 
diiterent. But if 
I should touch 
that man it would 
make me vomit." 
And that poor fel- 
low knew ever so 
much more than 
the bo}-, and had a 
deal more sense 
too, but the boy 

was of higher caste. And the boy would not speak 

to the man except to grumble at him. 

Some years ago I had several laborers at work on 

our cook-house. A cook-house in India is built sepa- 




" I'm a Brahmin. 



THE HINDOOS. I05 

"He that is without sin, let him first ■ cast a stone." — John 8: 7. 

rate like a country wash-house in America. Some 
others of the caste came along the road, and called 
over the fence, " Say, how is this ? " 

"How is what?" the laborers repHed. 

" Tliese people have low caste servants, haven't 
they? Your work here brings you into contact with 
them. You must be breaking caste ! " And with 
that they all stopped work and went out on the road, 
and there discussed the matter loudly for half an 
hour until I came and helped them to a conclusion. 

The idea of caste is ruinous to true religious life. 
Those laborers could fuss and quarrel and lie and 
steal and use slang and work carelessly, but no one 
of the caste would think to interfere. Perhaps there 
was wanting one to throw the first stone. But when 
there was a possibility of touching a low caste servant, 
then the caste would rise in horror lest religion should 
be defiled ! 

Be it said to their credit, Hindoos generally are 
not supposed to touch licjuor. Yet if one does take 
to drink, his better friends feel truly sorry, of course, 
but the caste does nothing. 

If a man marries two wives, or is guilty of living 
in adultery, the caste takes no action to help him 
get out of his sin. If perchance there is even a mur- 
der, the caste does not try to bring the guilty one 
to justice. If a widow be guilty of abortion, caste 
grins and winks, wondering what she'll do next. But 
if she re-marries, both she and her husband are ousted 
and tormented and hated as long as they live, 




I06 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" The soul, which is the size of a thumb, dwells in the middle of the 
body." — Katha Upanishad 4: 12. 

It is said that " caste is more po- 
tent in its secret persecutions than 
was the inquisition of Spain." ^ If a 
man drink water or eat food from the 
hands of a lower caste Hindoo or from 
the hands of any one not a Hindoo 
then the caste shows itself. The man 
,.,,,, .„ who has dared to offend thus is fined 

Malabari. 

and purified. A caste conclave is held 
to determine the extent of his punishment. The mon- 
ey of the fine is generally spent in a caste jollifica- 
tion. For purification, they give a specially prepared 
pill, which the priests make, the ingredients of which 
are the milk, ghee, curds, urine and dung of a cow! 
Then he is purified from the contaminating touch. 
When he gives the fine and takes the pill, the of- 
fender receives pardon for his sin! The fine is 
sometimes omitted ! 

Young men going to England for university work, 
graduate, come back to India, and take the pill. 
This university man may have his trunk full of 
theses upon the freedom of the will, or the elevation 
of woman, but when he is surrounded by his old 
life, he has to give in. He yields to the inevitable. 
If one who has become a Christian turns back to 
wallow again in the mire from which he had been 
washed, he takes his pill. They may take a drink of 
liquor with a foreigner who drinks, and tip glasses, 
but to take a drink of water with the same man 

1 Malabari. 



THE HINDOOS. IO7 

"The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life." — Prov. 14: 27. 

means to take the pill afterward, — if the caste lind 
it out. 

From Brahmin to Sudra, all apply the puriiication 
pill if one eat bread or drink water that a non-Hin- 
doo has touched. And those lower than Sudras 
apply the pill to those who break even their low- 
caste rules. And the out-castes are sometimes more 
zealous in keeping up their feint at caste than are 
many of those within the four great castes. The 
lower imitate the higher always, and caste is the 
ruling power. 

I well remember a poor fellow several years ago 
coming and asking for food. I said, "Of course, 
as long as we have food, we will share it with 
those who have not. I'll bring bread. Will you 
eat bread ? " 

He said, "No, sahib. How can I eat bread?" 

"Can't eat bread? Are you that far gone'^' I 
said. 

" Sahib, I'm a kumbar (potter). It's your bread 
I can't eat." 

"So, a question of caste is it? Look here. Who 
is the higher caste, a kumbar or a sahib ? " 

He ansv\^ered, " Sahib, you are much the higher." 

*' Then," said I, " as the lower eat from the hands of 
the higher, I think if you are really hungry, you can 
eat the bread I bring." I gave him some nice fresh 
bread. He took it, and would have put it into his 
pocket, when I suggested, " Say now, that's good 
bread. If you put it in j^our pocket you'll never eat 
it. Give me a bite. I'll help you to get started." 



Io8 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" That same skin which belongs to the cow was originally on man." — 
Satapatha Brahmana 3: i: 2: 16. 

Then I broke a piece off with my fingers and ate it. 
He ate the rest. I am sure it was the best bread 
he ever ate. I gave him some uncooked rice besides, 
and he went away. 

About a week had passed when he came again 
asking for uncooked rice. I said, "And bread?" 

" No, sahib, no more bread." 

"Why? Did the bread I gave you not digest?" 

" Sahib, the caste found it out." 

"Yes, then what?" 

" Why, sahib, they got together in solemn assem- 
bly and decided that my offense was grave, and they 
fined me a week's wages, and made me take the pill. 
Sahib, I don't want any more bread." 

"But wasn't it good bread?" I insisted. 

" Yes, sahib, but it's not according to my religion." 
And after that I often gave him uncooked rice, and 
we had many a friendly talk about the exceeding 
foolishness of caste rule. 

Caste knocks all the independence out of some men, 
and makes others inexcusably overbearing and 
proud. I was surprised one day to see that fact so 
well illustrated. A low caste man came in his own 
bullock cart to sell me some lime. I told my head- 
carpenter, a Sudra, to go with the man to see the 
lime and measure how much it was. It was near- 
ing the middle of the day, it was rather hot, and 
I was otherwise engaged, else I might have gone 
myself. We were building and needed the lime. No 
sooner than I had told the carpenter to go, I saw 



THE HINDOOS. 



109 



"Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom." — Prov. 15: 21. 

the circumstances. I thought, I'll see how this caste 
problem solves itself. The owner of the lime was 
sitting in his cart. The two men looked at each 
other for a moment, and then the carpenter said, 
"Out," and m o- 
tioned to the other 
man that he could 
walk at a little dis- 
tance behind. The 
man crawled out 
from the cart, the 
carpenter climbed in 
and drove off, the 
owner walking on 
behind. And so they 
continued three miles 
to his house, the one 
behind never daring 
to touch the cart 

with his finger. Why would he do it ? He wanted to 
sell the lime. But why submit to the indignity of it? 
He has been accustomed to that kind of thing for 
centuries. I have said in telling this story that the 
Czar of all the Russias could not do that with an Amer- 
ican, neither would he have the impudence to want to. 
A certain European was riding third class in a rail- 
way train from Ahmadebad to Bombay. He was 
minding his own business until his attention was called 
bv unusually loud talking further down the car. It 
was a Brahmin. There was a man of darker com- 
plexion, less intelligent expression, and poorer look- 



. / 


mM&.m.. -"lii^Mrafc. 


S'^^^^^fcl&giir . 


''■^!^WR'*'§^^^^...,^-^^^ 


m 

^i 


^^^^^^^^^?^^H 


^'; 




fi; 






'WKtlmi 


>: 



" The carpenter drove off." 



no INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"A Brahmin's weapon is speech." — Laws of Manu ii: 31. 

ing, who sat near him. He had not noticed this 
poor man before. Each pair of seats is intended to 
carry ten persons in third class. The Brahmin roared, 
" Who are you?" to which the other made no reply. 
He had been roared at before. He took it patiently, 
surprisingly so. Again, in tones louder than the noise 
of the running train, louder than the talk of a car full of 
people, again the Brahmin demanded, " IVho arc yon?" 
But the other looked down and answered not a word. 

Again the Brahmin thundered, " WJio arc you?" 

And this time the man replied, " I'm a Christi." 

" What's that ? Who can tell ? You lie ! You're 
a low caste Dherd ! I know you. How dare you 
sit here where I am ! Up ! Out ! Look, men, here's 
a Dherd sitting right among us." And his eyes 
flashed fire as he looked around over the other pas- 
sengers seeking sympath}-. 

Presently the poor man ventured a reply. " \\'here 
should I go? W'here can I go? I've got a ticket." 

" How dare you ask me where to go ! \\' ould you 
make me }'0ur servant? Out of here quick! How 
far are you going, Dherd?" 

" I'm going to Baroda," he replied in an apologetic 
way. 

■'Out of here! Go anywhere! Don't ask me 
where to go ! Only go ! " 

Then another spoke up and said ironically, " Broth- 
er, if the company in third class don't suit you, bet- 
ter buv a first-class ticket and go over there. You 
will find select company over there." 



THE HINDOOS. Ill 

"A soft answer turneth away wrath." — Prov. 15: i. 

" But he's a Dherd ! Jao ^ you Dherd ! " 

"■ Where shall I go ? " 

" Go over there and sit among those Mahomedans, 
if you hke. Go anywhere. Only go ! JAO ! JAO ! " 

By this time the poor fellow arose and began to 
climb over several seats to crowd himself in among 
the Mahomedans. Now it so happens that the Ma- 
homedans are not the meekest people on earth either. 
And as he came nearer to those people their ire rose 
higher, and they began to give him a volley of words 
and directed him to go back. 

The Brahmin yelled, " Don't you dare come back 
here ! " 

The Mahomedans insisted, " Not another step this 
way. Go back ! " 

And the poor fellow stood halting between the two 
fires, scorching on both sides. 

At this the one European in the car arose, got up 
on the seat with his feet and shouted, " Christi, hey 
there, Christi ! " 

Everybody in the car turned around and looked. 
He continued : 

" Christi, you go back to where you were and you 
sit down there. And if any man has a word to say, 
let him come over here and say it to me." There 
was a murmur of approval, and that was the end 
of the whole trouble. 

There is almost no end of castes. There are more 
than 150 castes of Brahmins, and the census man 
for all India says that the whole number of caste 

^ Begone. 



112 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" A Brahmin should carefully avoid agriculture, which causes great 
pain." — Laws of Manu lo: 82. 

divisions and subdivisions is upwards of 19,000. And 
there are more than twenty different castes among 
the out-castes. One would think that these out- 
castes would feel a degree of sympathy for each other. 
But it is not so. The out-caste is just as hard as 
anybody on those out-castes whose caste is lower than 
his own. 

' For instance, when an animal dies a caste man 
won't touch it. A low caste man, a 
Dherd, is called to remove the thing. 
He does so, and skins the animal and 
eats the flesh. Then taking the hide 
on his head he delivers it to the tan- 
ner, who by caste is lower than the 
other. And the man who brings the 
hide won't touch the man who is so 
low as to tan hides ! And the tanner in 
turn will not touch the man who does 
the general scavenger work around 
about town ! Every one avoids some 
other, "every one but the last one!" 
They are initiated into the caste be- 
fore they know much about it. It is 
not a matter of faith and choice, as with Christians. 
Early the boy has a sacred string put on him by the 
family priest, and after the string ceremony he is 
counted a member of the caste. There is no s]xx^ial 
time for this, and often when there are several boys 
in the family, the string is put on two little fellows 
at the same time. The various castes have different 




" The man who does 
the scavenger work." 



114 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" The gods talk only to the upper caste." — Satapatha Brahmana 
ii: 4: 4: I. 

String ceremonies, but after the string a Brahmin is 
called " twice-born." 

Low castes have shades of ceremonies too, for what- 
ever caste a man has, that is his religion so to speak, 
and he is proud of it. I think an out-caste man has 
as much pride in his caste as a Brahmin, only he has 
no opportunity to show it. A funny story in point 
is sometimes told. A bungi guru (scavenger priest) 
came to another bungi's house. Bungi is perhaps the 
lowest caste in all Gujerat. The first said in greet- 
ing the other, " Come in, sit down, how honored I 
am to have one such big bungi come to my humble 
hut." The other replied, " Do not speak so. I am 
only one very poor bungi. God is the one big Bungi." 
The average " gentle Hindoo " is much too proud 
for his own good. Dignity is a great word with him, 
but not the dignity of labor. The Bengali student 
wants a servant to carry the book home for him 
he wins as a prize on Commencement day. The 
Gujerati would not think of going down town without 
his turban on, though he wears a more comfortable 
hat around about the house all day. Boys fight if 
one calls the other an ass. 

The Stover Manufacturing Company, of Freeport, 
111., presented us a wind-mill for the orphanage. I 
had need for a small iron rod in putting the pump 
together, and went to the bazaar to get it. I put 
the rod on my shoulder and was coming home. But 
on my way home no less than a half dozen of my 



THE HINDOOS. I15 

"For there is no respect of persons with God." — Rom. 2: 11. 

Hindoo friends called to me in derision as I walked 
along the street : 

" Ur-ra sahib, what will you be doing next?" 

" I say, can't you afford a pice for a coolie ? " 

" You ought not to do that." 

" That kind of work is not worthy a man of your 
standing." 

" Sahib, stop and think how that looks." 

'" If all did like you, the poor coolies would starve, 
not?" 

You employ a man-servant as cook. He brings 
the daily supplies from the bazaar, but he wants an- 
other man to carry them for him. The carpenter re- 
quires another man to sit at the other end of his saw 
or plane, and pull. Native saws 
and planes are made accordingly, 
with a handle at each end. A ma- 
son wants another man to pick up 
the brick and hand them to him. .^nr ^ j- 1 » 

Made accordingly. 

A man walks along the road, his 

wife walks behind her lord carrying the burden. 

Some missionaries were in a village, and on be- 
ing asked for their advice, were talking of what was 
best to do in a case where a man had fallen into 
adultery with his sister. The sister overheard and 
called out, " Don't you mention my name," implying 
a fear lest her good name would be spoiled by mis- 
sionary use of it. 

Two neighbors were just a little doubtful of each 
other. One sitting in his house sang loudly and long. 
The other went to the back door of his house and 




116 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



"He must not step over a rope to which a calf is tied." — Institutes of 
Vishnu 63: 42. 

Spit. Then there was a general quarrel. The one 
said: " You sang to annoy me. You can't sing any- 
how."" The other said : " You spit to insult me. Why 
should you spit when I sing?" 

And the women. Every woman wants to appear 
full jeweled. Her ornaments may be gold, or silver, 
or glass, or they may be brass worth 
about five cents each, or they may 
be of wood, w^orth about a cent 
apiece. But she must have them. 
Hindoo women have an inordinate 
passion for jewelry. j\Iany a wom- 
an begs with rings on her arms and 
legs. Many a mother puts a string 
and tassel, or a string and little 
bunch of bells on the child several 
years before she thinks of clothes 
for it. The value of jewels in the 
country is estimated at $700,000,- 
000, which at twelve per cent 
interest would pay all the land 
revenue ! 

To gratify her pride the Hindoo 
woman puts rings in all parts of 
her ears, in her nose, on her fore- 
head, in her hair, about her neck, on her fingers 
and toes, on her arms and legs, above her elbows 
often, and sometimes up to her knees. When a 
woman has forty or fift\- brass rings on her legs, 
it's no fun. She often puts a handful of leaves un- 




Passion for jeweh-y. 



THE HINDOOS. 



117 



"The woman is the glory of the man." — i Cor. 11: 7. 

der the lower ring to keep it from 
cutting the flesh. One wonders why 
she is so foohsh. It is the custom. 
It's the way of the caste. It may 
not be pride, and it may be so. 
Pride, custom and caste often be- 
come so intertwined that it requires 
an expert to tell which is which. 

A bit of experience we enjoyed 
when we first came to Bulsar, was 
in a conversation with an old woman 
of a special caste. Wife had asked 
her why she was wearing so very 
man}'- brass rings. She said it was 
the custom of her caste, and that 
the better one stands in societv the 

" Mother puts a string." 

greater the number of rings one can 
wear. And then, to illustrate and enforce 
her statement, she added, " And if you 
were a member of our caste, madam 
sahib, you would be allowed to wear 
rings clear up to your knees." I need 
not add that wife is glad her caste 
doesn't wear rings. 

I often wonder with how great a de- 
gree of sorrow God must look upon this 
whole foolish custom of adorning the 
body, of yielding to the caste's desire 
to be pleased. We pity these poor hea- 
•' It's no fun." then women who know no better. How 





Il8 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Women being weak and ignorant of Vedic texts, are foul as false- 
hood." — Laws of Manu 9: 17. 

must God look upon those women who do know 
better, and yet indulge? True adorning lies in 
a meek and quiet spirit, in a noble and useful 
life. 

]\Iany a Hindoo woman, and many a Alahomedan 
too, wears a bracelet of iron, as the sign of their 
marriage. Often this iron ring is covered over with 
gold so as not to appear what it really is. The 
mother-in-law puts on this wedding ring, and it 
must not be removed at any time while the wife 
lives. In some places it is worn about the neck. 
I have seen it sometimes that a woman wore a lit- 
tle gold piece about the size of a gold dollar as a 
charm apparently, with the impress of two feet on 
it. On inquiry I learned that she was the second 
wife, and that second wives always wear this sign, 
in the particular caste. This heathen wedding-ring 
custom has worked its way into the little minds of 
some people outside of India. So completely tied 
to the idea are they that one would almost fear 
to tell them how near they come to being heathen. 
And the more nearly akin the greater the cause for 
fear. The modern wedding ring " represents the 
nose ring, the ankle ring or manacle by which in 
the past ages the sold slave was led away from 
the mart by the new master." ^ 

It would be well if this passion for jewelry were 
the end of passion. With the Hindoo people pas- 

^ Prof. Frederick Starr, University of Chicago. 



THE HINDOOS. II9 

"Follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace." — 2 Tim. 2: 22. 

sion, lust, lasciviousness, desire, appetite, know al- 
most no limits. One can never find out the depth 
of these degradations till he has lived long with 
the people and known their language well. There 
are untranslated phrases, and there are expressions 
which have no EngHsh equivalent. Those who 
know, say that Prof. Max Muller's translations of 
"The Sacred Books of the East" render the ob- 
scene phrases not according to the literal, but so 
they will not be too objectionable reading. The 
Government of India positively forbids the pub- 
lishing of some of the " religious literature " of the 
Hindoos. 

In the temples certain images represent lascivi- 
ousness. In certain large temples there are dozens 
of images of male and female naked forms in the 
act of prostitution. I saw a score of such in the 
" holy temple " at Benares. When such facts are 
stated to educated and congenial Hindoos, they 
laugh and say that they themselves have no use for 
such things. But the thought goes into their liearts, 
and they live it out. Doctors sometimes tell us how 
often they are asked for medicine to cause power. 
See page 44. Men justify the having of several 
wives by the power argument. 

I was riding along one day in a railway train, 
and got into religious conversation with a Hindoo. 
The people are ever ready to discuss matters of re- 
ligion. In that they differ from some people who 
get the fidgets and want to be off the moment re- 



I20 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Thou, god without a second." — Rig-\'eda 1:32: 12. 

ligion is mentioned. Our conversation drifted from 
one topic to another till he asked me if I ate meat 
and why. I answered in the affirmative, giving 
as a reason that it is healthful diet and gives 
strength. Applying his own meaning, he asked me 
some of the most filthy questions I had ever heard. 
Rising up and assuming Brahminical dignity which 
he could easily understand, I said. " Sit yonder, and 
don't you touch me. I have a pure mind, and en- 
deavor to have it purer. You have a filthy heart, 
and want to have it more filthy. Don't you dare 
to touch me." He was thunder-struck. We were 
both silent for a time when he neared the end of 
his journey. Then I shook hands with him as I 
gave him good-by. I told him to get such thoughts 
out of his heart, that he could not do this himself, 
as he readily admitted, and that Christ was his only 
hope. Christ would help him if he asked in faith. 
He thanked me and begged my pardon. Poor fel- 
low, he didn't know. He thought all men were as 
sensual as he knew himself to be, and perhaps he 
had known no other kind among his own people. 

It is not far to see the cause of child-marriage. 
The old Brahmin forefathers in establishing child- 
marriage knew well the nature of the people they 
had to deal with. A widow may be a widow but a 
man must be married. Save the boys, — get them mar- 
ried before they know to get into sin. Save the girls, 
— get them married before puberty, so if there come 



122 



INDIA; A PROBLERI. 



" Let him not marry a maiden with reddish hair." — Laws of Manu 3: 7. 

a child too soon, there is a lad to be the legal fa- 
ther of it. One sore was made in order to heal 
another, but there was no healing. Feed an appe- 
tite and you produce a passion. This is how the 
old Brahmin fathers missed it. These plans were 




" Save the girls." 



wrought with good intent. But God was not the mov- 
er in them. And they are working only evil continu- 
ally. 

A few years ago, after an adult husband in Cal- 
cutta had taken his eleven-year-old bride to wife, 



THE HINDOOS. 



123 




"Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers." — 2 Cor. 6; 14. 

causing her a crucial suffering and death, Govern- 
ment raised the age of consent from ten to twelve 
years. Sentiment became 
strong for this change, 
yet the law was not passed 
without many Hindoo ob- 
jections. Now throughout 
British India Hindoo mar- 
riages are held between 
parties of any ages, but no 
husband can legally take 
his little wife to live with 
him as such before she is 
twelve years of age. In 
Mysore, a large native 
state, the marriage of girls 
under eight is prohibited, and men over fifty are for- 
bidden by law to marry girls under fourteen. In Jey- 
pore the age of consent has been raised to fourteen 
years. 

Volume after volume might be filled with true sto- 
ries of child-marriage and enforced widowhood. For 
there are in round numbers 140,000,000 women in 
India, of whom fully 23,000,000 are Hindoo widows ! 
More than 78,000 are child-widows under nine years 
of age, and thousands are widows at four ! 

The average Hindoo girl knows more about some 
things at six years of age than many an American 
girl knows at fourteen. But the same American girl 
knows more of righteousness at six than the average 
Hindoo girl ever knows. Poor things, they can't 



Before she is twelve years of age.' 




124 INDIA; A PROBLEM. • 

" This is the threefold path to jiell; carnal desire, wrath and greed." — 
Institutes of Vishnu 33 : 6. 

help it. It's the fruit of the prevaiHng rehgion of 
the land ! By their fruits we know them. 

Stories of how mothers some- 
times prepare their little married 
daughters to go to their future 
house (there is no distinctive 
word, for home in the vernacu- 
lars), so that the husband may 
not find the girl too little, are al- 
^ ^, . ,, u ,, 1 v" most incredible, and can not be 

Poor things, they can t help it. ' 

published. Twenty-six per cent 
of the children born die under one year of age. 

In the religious folk-lore, the story is told with 
relish, that Krishna, the popular Hindoo god, once 
when v.'alking met a certain devotee. The devotee 
said he had one request of god Krishna, which he 
wished he would promise to grant. And Krishna 
promised, of course, without knowing what it was, 
for he was too good-natured to refuse. Then the 
request was that Krishna should change the devotee 
into a woman for the time being, that they two might 
be together ! And the request was granted, of course ! 
And now Hindoos praise him for having kept the 
promise, for his devotion to truthfulness ! 

The Bhattia caste in Bombay, numbering about 
10,000, formerly had a custom of sending a wife, 
after the ceremony of the marriage consummation, 
to be with the priest first, then to join her husband. 
The women now and then visited these priests, and 
were taught by the priests that it was to them sal- 



THE HINDOOS. 12^ 

" Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." — Matt, s : 8. 

vation. One man, more of a man than the rest, 
resented this procedure, and brought the matter open- 
ly to court. Then the pubHc were astonished at the 
facts, there was a great stir among all classes, and 
the hope for better things was indulged. But I am 
led to believe there has not been very much change. 

Considering again the good intents, but misguid- 
ed efforts of the ancient Brahmin fathers, we rec- 
ognize in widow-burning an open commentary on 
conditions. Suttee were better for a widow than 
the life she'd be most likely to lead after her hus- 
band was gone. And it is contrary to religion for 
a woman to re-marry, for a Brahmin must be the 
first husband of as many wives as he may choose. 

The relation of husband and wife is often tender, 
but rarely as mutually confident as we are used to 
it. I have a letter from a Brahmin, relative to the 
death of his wife, from which I will quote in part: 
" After all she sank in perfect satisfaction having 
committed the children to my fatherly charge. Her 
soul left her body at 7 A. M. Of course she has 
left me, but not left me alone. She has not robbed 
me of anything, but on the contrary she has left 
after her, the children, the fruit of social life which 
could never be bought at any price. She was my 
young companion from the fifth year of her age. 
The day before she passed away all the Hindoo reli- 
gious rites were performed to perfection. From i 
to 3 A. M. she was in her senses. I asked her, ' Have 
you anything to say to me ? ' She shook her head 
and said ' No ' aloud. ' Have you anything to say 



126 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Three hundred, three thousand, thirty and nine gods have worshiped 
Agni." — Bhagavad Gita4: 9: 9. 

to the children, to anybody?' To which she re- 
pHed, ' It is the fate of all. It is the way of all. 
And I abide my fate. You remain. May you live.' 
After that she murmured several words. Soon 
everything began to subside, and the soul escaped 
at 7 A. M." 

I met the gentleman two weeks later, after the 
ceremonies for the dead had all been performed, 
and he was away from the house once more. He 
said he was in great trouble. I tried to console 
him as best I could under the circumstances. Pres- 
ently he said, " My trouble is this: Mother insists 
that I be married to a little girl she knows, ten 
years old, and sometimes I think I want to, and 
sometimes I think I won't." 

The widows of all the lower castes re-marry free- 
ly and often very quickly. The widows of the 
higher castes never ! In all India there are now 
about twenty-five remarriages per year of high caste 
widows, by as many men who dare to step out and 
face the evil customs of the centuries. Suttee was 
stopped some years ago by English law, but the 
widow is a widow still. In 1856 a law was passed 
legalizing widow marriages, but so far it avails not 
much. 

She is the object of general contempt. She has 
a hard lot. If a Brahmin (he who of all men should 
be merciful !) meet a widow first of all when he goes 
out in the morning, he thinks his good luck for the 
day is gone, and he will call her bad names, ask 



THE HINDOOS. 



127 



" I am the Lord, and there is none else, there is no God beside me." — 
Isaiah 45: 5. 

her insolent questions, or spit at her. And if she 
be wealthy she becomes but the prey of cunning- 
men, for " the wealth of most widows is devoured 
by priests." ^ 

Widowhood is regarded as a curse from God be- 
cause of some sin committed either in this present 




' Widowhood 



a curse from God." 



or some former life. So if God curse, why should 
men pity? If a man be dying it is not usually al- 
lowable to let the wife, the future widow, be in the 
room. Before the body is removed, the village bar- 
ber is called to shave the widow of all her long hair. 
And she must keep her head shaven from that day 
forth. Then she is clothed in coarse garments red 



1 Rao Bahadur C. H. Deshmukh. 



128 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

'" Then Indra at a single draught drank thirty pails of Soma-juice." — 
Rig-\'eda 7 : 66: 4. 

or white, and when the corpse is removed, she stays 
in the house, a Hindoo widow. If she be of some 
years, the success of her children may give some- 
thing of joy to her, but if she be young she has 
small hope. Despised by all, pitied by none, avoid- 
ed by all, cherished by none, her life-light flickers. 
She may get broken-hearted and die of consump- 
tion, or callous-hearted caring for nothing, or she 
may go into sin with anyone, even members of her 
own family. 

I spoke of this recently to several men. One 
said, " Yes, sahib. I know a case where a widow was 
about to become a mother when, suddenly, she died, 
and was carried to the river side. ^ She was surely 
poisoned." 

Another said, " I know of three cases where wid- 
ows, having been in sin, under similar circumstan- 
ces, sickened and died. There was some stir about 
the matter at the time, but it was soon hushed up." 
More than once have I had pointed out to me wid- 
ows, whom I had known and thought respectable, 
as guilty of all sin. And once a Hindoo boy in my 
confidence remarked, " Plague time is good for some 
things. There are so many empty houses." 

De Tocqueville says : " Hindooism is perhaps 
the only s}'Stem of belief that is worse than having 
no religion at all." I should say the widows would 
agree with him. — if they knew. But saving. " It's 
my fate. What to do?" thcv usuallv trv to make 



^ Usually bodies are burned a^ the river side. Hence the expression. 



THE HINDOOS. I29 

" Eat or drink, — do all to the glory of God." — 1 Cor. 10: 31. 

the best of it. Perhaps the majority would not re- 
marry if they could, feeling that fate is against them. 
And they are taught that it is a disgrace to re-marry, 
that only bad women do so, that modest women sub- 
mit to the inevitable and think of nothing else, that 
it is the will of God, and such other Hindooisms. 

It must not be thought by anyone that Hindoos 
have no knowledge of God. From the greatest to 
the least they speak of one general God. Qf course 
to them, this idea of one God does not exclude the 
possibility of millions of little gods. To them it 
is like the sun and the stars. Even the most igf- 
norant speak of the " Uper Wallo," the One above. 
And the more enlightened will even argue for the 
truth that " God is a Spirit, everywhere present, all 
powerful, without shape, and without form." 

Neither should anyone think that Hindoos have 
no desire for God. They do desire God. They 
have a peculiarly religious nature. Most men will 
stop work an hour to engage in an argument on 
religion, even if they be working piece-work. Every 
one thinks of the time when he will be according to 
the religion, reunited with God. All India is in a 
constant religious stew, if religious discussion can 
be counted for anything. 

At certain times there are great religious festivals, 
where Hindoos go to bathe and receive the caste mark 
and follow the teaching of their religion. As thev 
go many miles sometimes for one day's exercises, 
one cannot but feel that they do crave some blessed 
experience, and know not how nor where to go 



THE HINDOOS. 



131 



" Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right." — Eph. 6: i. 

for it. At these festivals sometimes tens of thou- 
sands gather, bathe, say prayers, and return home. 

Boys wear caps with " GOD " sewed on in beads. 
" GOD " is on the backs of chairs sometimes. It 
may be woven in the border of a woman's sari, 
" GOD." In the beginning of the famine, a school 
teacher told his pupils to write, " Ram Ram " as often 
as they could in a given time. 

Two Christian boys refused, saying that it was 
contrary to their religion, while all the other chil- 
dren wrote " Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram Ram " all 
up and down and crosswise over their slates. The 
teacher thought to please the gods. 

The sunyassis 
and yogis and 
bairagis and go- 
s a i s and fakirs 
and sadhus all are 
a living argument 
that the people 
are really seeking 
after God,- — 
though not find- 
ing Him. There 
is many a splen- 
did fellow, and 
also many a big 
fraud among the 
nearly 3,000,000 
ascetics and de- 
votees of India. " Seeking after God." 




132 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" There was not non-existent nor existent, no realm of air, no sky be- 
yond it." — Rig-Veda :o: 129: i. 

These are separate from the world, according to 
the Orient. They often do not wear more clothes 
than we carry in one pocket as a handkerchief. They 
smear their bodies over with 
ashes, wear the hair long and 
matted, and appear as uncivil- 
ized as possible. Civilization to 
them is being worldly. To have 
a wife and children, a home, de- 
cent clothes, to carry on any bus- 
iness, to know where to-mor- 
row's breakfast is to come from, 
this, to them, is being worldly. 
But to beg, to wander from 
place to place, to forsake wife 
and children, and home, to sleep 
under trees, to wear no clothes, 
and by lying on spikes, hanging with the head down 
over a slow fire, smearing the body, letting the hair, 
beard and nails get inordinately long, keeping vows 
of silence for years at a time, and in a score of oth- 
er ways to torture the body, this is to them sepa- 
ration from the world. And India as a whole thinks 
even so. The ascetic may deceive others as to his 
caste, he may lie when he goes begging food, his heart 
may be the very incarnation of darkness, A'ct all re- 
gard him as having renounced the world and its wavs ! 

Many a man gets tired of himself and of his dailv 
routine of duties and meaningless religious cere- 
monies, and he says, " I'll go on a pilgrimage." His 




" Separate from tlie world." 



THE HINDOOS. 



133 



" And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters." — -Gen. 1 : 2. 

intentions are good, but he is on the wrong road. 
Out he goes and away, begging and wandering. It 
is all for religion. He goes from town to town, falls 
in with others of his kind, 
hears strange stories and is en- 
couraged to go on. It is a 
careless, easy, listless, lazy 
life, and many are drawn into 
it never to come back again. 
In begging they stop in front 
of a house and chant some 
weu'd lines while perhaps rat- 
tling several iron rings, or 
shaking small rattlesticks, un- 
til they are told to go (jao) 
or are given possibly a thim- 
bleful of rice. So from house to house. Two hours 
of begging will generally result in enough for one 
meal, and there may be some over. Then they go 
to the temple and dharamsala (rest house) on the 
banks of the tank, sit down, smoke, 
talk, and cook their meal. 

The cookmg is easy enough. One 
little vessel is carried with them al- 
ways. Perhaps two, the second for 
water only. Three stones, a few 
sticks and leaves gathered, and a 
match, will prepare any sadhu a meal. 
Rice, salt, dahl, tobacco, matches, all are thrown to- 
gether into the begging bowl. He requires no spoons. 




" Out he goes and away." 




Cooking is easy." 



134 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Let him choose for his wife a maiden who has a pleasant name, who 
walks gracefully like an elephant." — Laws of ]\[anu 3: y. 

no knives, no forks, no dishes, no table, nor clean- 
liness, for he is separate from the world ! After 
eating he stretches himself out for a sleep on the 
stones or on the bare ground, and does not go out 
for more until impelled by hunger. 

There are sunyasis, who are a better class of peo- 
ple than the common mendicants. Thev do not beg, 
and people have more confidence in them. They go 
from place to place and read or talk to the people 
who gather to see them, and if anything is given 
them tliey have a meal to eat. If there is abun- 
dance, they give to others. If there be nothing, they 
go hungry, saying nothing. A sunyasi discards all 
prayer-beads and strings and such things which seem 
the stock-in-trade of the sadhus, and he wears more 
clothes. I had a long talk with one who had been 
all over the country, had visited ever so many mis- 
sionaries from Karachi to Calcutta, was much pleased 
with the righteousness and teaching of Christ, but 
preferred to continue as he was. 

The yogis are a class of religious tricksters, to 
whom much power is attributed. They claim to do 
all kinds of things by means of the mantras, — all 
kinds of useless and foolish things. And in conver- 
sation about these fellows, those who believe in them 
always tell what some far-away yogi did. 

We have no faith in these yogis, but when a man 
does a real clever thing, actually doing it. we feel 
an interest in him. There came to our house a group 
of men desiring to show what they could do. Yield- 



THE HINDOOS. 



135 



" Cease to do evil; learn to do well." — Isaiah i: 16, 17. 

ing- to the pressure on the part of the orphans I 
told them to do what they could. Among other things, 
one of the men held a twelve-foot bamboo pole up- 
rightly, resting it on his stomach. His son, a lad 

of fourteen summers per- 
haps, climbed up the pole and 
at the top he turned a somer- 
sault, and afterwards lay 
down and twirled around like 
a compass on its pivot. There 
was no deception in this, for 
I took a photograph of it. 

A swami is a leader. 
They bow before him in form 
and in spirit. They kiss his 
feet, and crowd around to 
touch the hem of his gar- 
ment, — if he has one on. A 
Hindoo agent will sometimes 
wire other agents along the road if a swami is on 
the train, and by the time the train arrives, there is 
a crowd of Hindoos there, anxious to give him money, 
touch his feet, or worship him from 
a distance. But a swami does not 
always find smooth sailing. Honor- 
able Justice Chandavarkar went to 
England, and when he returned he 
refused to take the pill. The Swami 
of the Saraswats excommunicated 
the Judge of the High Court. And 
then he threatened with excommuni- .. ^ g^ajj,;.. 




" I took a photograph of it." 




136 



INDIA; A PROBLEA'I. 



"If a man steal grain, he shall be born a rat." — Laws of Manu 12: 62. 

cation all who would dine with the enlightened judge. 
The judge was not affected, and many continued to 
dine with him. The fight is on yet. The judge is 
making another trip to England now. Let us hope 




" Tlie enlightened judge." 
Raja Deen Dayal & Sons, photographers. 



that he will win, and the swami admit his superior 
sense. 

The desire for God is unfortunately linked with 
idolatry, which closes the door. A Hindoo will wor- 
ship. He is a worshiping being. It puzzles him that 
any one in a Christian country should not be a Chris- 



THE HINDOOS. I37 

"Let him that stole, steal no more." — Eph. 4: 28. 

tian. " Has no religion at all! " he exclaims. " How 
can that be?" But while Hindoos are willing wor- 
shipers, they are not at all particular what they wor- 
ship. Indeed, to him, one thing serves about as well 
as another. He reasons about this way : 

God is everywhere present. 

Everywhere present, then in everything. 

Worshiping the thing, therefore, I worship God 
in the thing. 

He worships, then, as a result, anything and ev- 
erything ; the sun, moon, stars, the sea, rivers, wells, 
trees, bushes, sticks, animals, snakes, birds, stones, 
metals, gold, silver, iron, brass, copper, clay, wood, 
and if there be any other thing, that too. 

The tailor begins the day's work by worshiping his 
tools. We had a derzi sewing in our house. The 
orphan boys remarked how the old man stood the 
scissors up and " went on " before them. I said I 
had never seen him do it. So the next morning 
I was right there to see. He didn't do it. I said, 
"Derzi, they tell me you do puja (prayers) to our 
scissors in the morning. You certainly didn't do it 
this morning, for I've had one eye on you ever since 
you came." His answer was, " No, sahib, I didn't 
do it. I thought if sahib would see me he would 
say, ' What's come over the derzi ? Is he crazy ? ' 
so I thought about it, but didn't do it, sahib." 

The carpenter sets up his tools together in the 
morning as he is about to begin work, adz, saw, and 
plane, and worships them. And the farmer worships 
his old-fashioned plow, knowing well that it is the 



138 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" On killing a cat, dog, owl, or crow, he must perform the penance 
required for killing a Sudra." — Laws of Manu 11: 131. 

same as his fathers worshiped before him centuries 
ago. The clerk worships his pen and the student 
worships his books. 

A Hindoo thinks he must look at something when 
he does his prayers.^ Uusually an idol is blessed by 
the priest before it is counted an object of worship. 
In the consecration they say the god-spirit enters it. 
After it is so consecrated no one out of the caste 
may touch it. But this is not always the case. The 
train comes lolling into the station, and a man may 
want to do his prayers. He may jump out quickly, 
and find a suitable stone lying near. He may set up 
the stone and do his prayers there before it, and 
get into the car again before the train starts. 

There are large temples and large idols, but that 
which IS popular is the little idol. India is alive 
with little idols. They are everywhere. Along 
the road-side, under trees in secluded places, in the 
houses, in the little temples, in niches in the walls 
of houses, in niches of stone walls, on hill tops, all 
special places have their little idols in them. And 
these little idols are the popular ones. A rock by 
the wayside has a peculiar shape. One marks it red. 
A sadhu does a ceremony over it. After that it is 
frequently worshiped. 

A Brahmin came to the World's Fair in Chicago. 
After his return to his own country he wrote a 
book, in which he grew eloquent over the Ferris 
wheel. Thus he apostrophised it, " O thou thing of 

'■ The vernacular expression is " to do prayers." 



140 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" He who kills a cow shall drink barley gruel for a month, be shorn, 
dress in her hide, and live in a cow-house." — Laws of Alanu 11: 109. 

fate. You take some men up, and bring others down 
at your will. You should be in India. There you 
would be a god, and millions would fall at your feet 
to worship you." Our wind-mill has seen itself wor- 
shiped more than once. And I've been worshiped. 
The element of fear enters prominently into much 
of the worship. The smallpox goddess is worshiped 

to ward off smallpox. 
The cobra is wor- 
shiped that he may 
not bite them. Oth- 
er ugly gods and 
goddesses are wor- 
shiped that they may 
not visit wrath upon 
the people. In this 
way it can be under- 
stood why the most 
horrible things are 
often worshiped 
most. The good God will not hurt anyone, but the 
gods of evil will, so if their wrath can be appeased 
the worshiper feels himself safe. 

How different is the true! We worship God be- 
cause we love Him. We worship Him because He 
first loved us. We desire to praise Hin.i because we 
understand a little concerning His praiseworthy na- 
ture. \\q adore Him because we are His redeemed 
children. Being His children we indulge the hope 
that we shall be like our Father, and dwell with 




" The cobra is worshiped." 



THE HINDOOS. I4I 

" The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him in truth." — ■ 
Psalms 145: 18. 

Him forever. And we want always to please Him 
because love prompts it. 

" Love is the fountain whence 
All true obedience flows. 
The Christian serves the God he loves 
And loves the God he knows." 

If a smallpox epidemic comes certain castes have 
a way to appease the smallpox goddess which is 
peculiarly interesting. They collect earthen pots, 
little wooden wagons, sticks, earthen images of a 
horse (or dog, who can tell?), drum and cymbals, 
and a live chicken, or a small goat. All these things 
are taken with shouting and singing to just beyond 
the border limits of their village. The neighbors m 
the next village hear them coming and knowing well 
what is up they are at the boundary hne in time 
to meet the procession, and take it on at once to the 
limits of their village, for they don't want to get 
the smallpox either. So they give it to their next 
neighbor. And these give it to the next, and so on 
till the last ones are so far away that they do not 
hear them commg. Ignorance is bliss, and if they 
do not know, they will not get it. The live chicken 
is left to run wild, while all the other things, ex- 
cept the drum and cymbals, are deposited there by 
the road-side. 

One night we heard a continued noise at a temple 
near by. In the morning I went over to see what 
the trouble was, for the noise kept right on. When 
I asked, they told me they had decreed an eight-days' 



142 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Yama includes abstinence from slaughter, falsehood, theft, inconti- 
nence, and avarice." — Yoga Shastra 2: 30. 

prayer, and were at it. I asked in surprise how 
they kept up an eight-days' prayer, for there was 
no stopping. Then I learned that they take turns, 
each httle group of men taking a two-hours' heat, 
so to speak. They joined hands, and with a song 
to the god as they danced round about it, they kept 
time with the drum and cymbals. It was not un- 
like our child-play *' ring around a-rosy." And they 
kept it up for the eight days, thinking thus to ap- 
pease the apparent wrath of the god, and so avert 
the impending famine. 

Another striking case is that of a woman dhoon- 
ing. Hindoo dhooning is different from that of the 
Mahomedans. It was late in the evening, and I was 
just returning from the railway station. Close to our 
home, as I came nearer and nearer, I heard a weird, 
plaintive sing-song cry, and I wondered if perhaps 
some one had died, for the sound was not very un- 
like that of a woman as she spends several hours 
each day in wailing aloud after the death of some 
member of the family. As I 
came near, I asked an old na- 
tive brother who was present, if 
any one had died. He replied, 
No, sahib, she's dhooning. 

" She's dhooning." -i-^.. ^ ■, •■, 1 ,1 

Did sahib never see her dhoon- 
ing? Doesn't sahib want to see her dhooning?" 

" No," I said, " I never saw her dhooning. But, 
Ramabhai, who is she. and what does she do when 
she dhoons? " 




THE HINDOOS. * I43 

" Incline not my heart to any evil thing." — Psalms 141 : 4. 

" Come along. Sahib must go over and see." And 
so saying, he went ahead, and after a little further 
explanation, I also went to see her dhooning. 

A woman in a mere hut of a house sat on the 
bare floor, making wild gesticulations before a lit- 
tle idol, whose name was called Pyr. She had a lit- 
tle table just before her, on which was placed some 
rice and a rupee. A little dim cocoanut-oil light 
flickered near the idol. The woman bowed and 
threw herself back, then bowed again, so continu- 
ing in rapid succession. And each time she bowed 
she uttered a cry, which I could not understand, 
and I was sure no one else did. It was this cry that 
had attracted my attention at first. She continued 
for a time, when becoming quite exhausted she 
raised up, and with her index fingers wiped the great 
beads of perspiration from her forehead. Then 
I spoke to her, and finding that she was not unwilling 
to be talked to I asked her what she was doing. She 
said in all gravity, " Sahib, I'm dhooning." 

I said, " Yes, I see that. But whatever is it for? " 

In astonishment, she replied, " Didn't sahib see 
the baby?" 

I looked and saw the baby, on a woman's lap, not 
far from me. It was such a wee little thing, I felt 
sorry for it at once, that it could not be quietly 
asleep somewhere. 

" And will the dhooning afifect the baby? " I ven- 
tured. 

" Yes, sahib, the baby is sick, and this is the way 



144 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Soul within me is greater than this earth, and greater than the sky, 
and greater than the heaven." — Chandogya Upanishad 3: 14: 3. 

we do when the baby gets sick. This is to make it 
well" 

" And will the baby get well? " 

" Perhaps, — if the Pyr wishes, it will get well." 

" Yes, but do the babies get well when you dhoon 
for them ? " 

" Sometimes they do." 

''And sometimes they die?" 

" Sometimes." 

" Why don't you go to the hospital, or why don't 
you come over to me? Fm no doctor, but I can give 
you an occasional remedy that will do good." 

" No, sahib, ive don't take medicine. We rely on 
Pyr. We are foolish people, but that's the way we 
do. We never go to any doctor." 

" I certainly admit," 1 said " that you are foolish 
people, your caste, but it seems to me, — " and with- 
out waiting longer she began dhooning again. 

Now I began to understand. And as soon as she 
used sentences that had a meaning, the men sitting 
around outside came in quickly, saying, " Now the 
god has entered her. Now it is the god speaking." 
And I caught an idea there I had never learned be- 
fore. These idolaters believe that when the one 
dhooning gets so worked into a state of excitement, 
and so exhausted as scarcely to be natural, then 
the god enters, and the words said are not the words 
of the individual, but are the words of the god. 
And they listen with due eagerness. And all she 
utters now is the message, — if they can understand 



THE HINDOOS. I45 

" God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." — ■ 
James 4: 6. 

it. Sometimes they can't. Then they are to blame, 
not the god. Something like this must have been 
the way the ancient idolatrous oracles worked 
among many people. 

As the thing continued, some of the weird ryth- 
mical jingling expressions the woman used that 
night were : 

" Gone to Naosari, O Pyr bap." 
" All poor people, O Pyr bap." 
" Baby got very sick, O Pyr bap." 
'' Won't you make baby well, O Pyr bap ? " 
" Have to work very hard, O Pyr bap." 
" Gods will favor men, O Pyr bap." 
" Baby has lucky name, O Pyr bap." 
" Baby will make a change, O Pyr bap." 
And so on. Bap means father. They could see 
by the statements that the god was favorable to the 
baby, and would understand it so. In this particu- 
lar case the baby died the next day. But a little 
thing like that would not change their faith in the Pyr. 
It is sometimes suggested by those who have not 
perhaps given it any thought that since the people 
do worship, their worship is better than nothing. It 
is better to worship an idol than not to worship at 
all. It is not my purpose to discuss concerning the 
poor soul who does not worship at all. He will 
find ills own place as sure as the waves go down 
to fill up the troughs of the sea below. But the one 
who worships the idol, — how about him? 

Men must look UP for their ideals, and not find 




146 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" The sun is 100,000 yojanas from the earth, and the moon an equal 
distance from the sun." — Vishnu Purana 2: -j. 

them on a level or beneath them. No good man can 
continue so and worship a bad god. Unless a man 
worships something better than himself he will grow 
worse only continually. Since these things are true, 
where at once is the poor Hin- 
doo who worships incarnations 
so bad that no man can pos- 
sibly be their equal. If he does 
not worship it, he is a hypo- 
crite, pretending to follow a re- 
_ ligion while he does not. If he 

3^-^f3*S^^^^^ ^°^^ worship, he is worse, be- 
•~ '^jHZZT" cause the object of his wor- 

ship is lower than he himself is. 
Many a man gets into a trap 
by a course of reasoning like the following, the error 
of which he fails to see. 

God is everywhere present. 
God is the most real of all things. 
No two things can occupy the same place at the 
same time. 

Therefore there is nothing but God. 
In other words, everything that is is God, and all 
that we see is but imagination. In reality, the phys- 
ical is imaginary, and the spirit only is real. He 
thinks he is, but knows that he is not. All the 
world is illusion. There is no pain, he only thinks 
there is pain. He does not exist, but only thinks 
he exists. He does not possess any thing, but only 
thinks he does. He does not feel hungry, but only 



" A bad god." 



THE HINDOOS. I47 

" God is a spirit." — John 4: 24. 

thinks so. He does not have thoughts, but only 
imagines he has phantasies he cahs thoughts. 

" God is everywhere present " is one thing, and 
" God is everything " is quite something else. But 
the Hindoo does not see it. He says " Ham Brahm 
asmi," / am Brahm. If man is God, tlien cat, dog, 
Hzard, rat, these are God too. If there is no differ- 
ence between the Creator and the thing created, 
then a shoemaker is the same as the pair of shoes 
he makes, and a carpenter is the same as the box 
he makes. Yet he doesn't see it. But the Brahmin 
always recognizes the difference between himself 
and his low caste neighbors. 

Our teacher once was bothered with these ideas, 
and it occurred to me that to have a demonstration 
would be good. And so I said, " Teacher, let's dem- 
onstrate. Your hand, which is only an imaginary 
hand, you please place against the door there, which 
is not a door, but only an imaginary door. Then 
with my fist, which I am quite sure is a real fist, I will 
strike your hand a good strong blow. If you do 
not feel something which is more than an imagina- 
tion, then I will give up ; but if you do feel some- 
thing which is more than an imagination then you 
will give up. What do you say ? ' 

And he said, " Let's not demonstrate that way." 
And he never argued with us for such nonsense 
again. 

Their minds are dreamy and speculative, and at 
the same time shrewd, subtle and metaphysical to 
the extreme. A man will speak of sin so common 



148 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Do not study while dogs are barking, jackals yelling, or asses braying." 
— Institutes of X'ishnu 30: 12. 

in the \vorld, and a moment later he will fall to phil- 
osophizing thus : God is universally present. No sin 
can come into the presence of God. Therefore there 
is no sin in the universe. And he can not see the 
error in the argument. 

It is a common saying that educated orthodox Hin- 
doos have a special aptness for stating the simplest 
thing so that not even a philosopher can get any- 
thing out of it. For example, I met a Maratha 
Brahmin lawyer once, and after an hour of pleasant 
conversation together, he asked me to define happi- 
ness. I did so, but to remember his definition I 
wrote it down. It was the result of considerable 
mental effort on his part. " Happiness is a fraction, 
the numerator of which is the satisfaction of the am- 
bition which is its denominator." The simplest 
thing may be the source of endless argument. For 
the sake of argument almost any doctrine can be 
established. 

The very weakness of such doctrines is their 
strength. If there were not an element of truth in 
them, they could be easily overthrown, but who will 
deny that God is everywhere? Beginning with this 
right assumption they proceed to argue in a false 
way, and can not see it because of the truth they 
started out with. The result is the rankest pan- 
theism, and no man can locate himself satisfactorily 
to himself. 

Not far from Bulsar is a little village where a man 
has dug a well, in the name of religion. He put an 



THE HINDOOS. 



149 



"Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all 
the earth." — Psalms 57: 11. 

inscription on it, saying that it was for the public, 
but added that his enemy, so-and-so '' may not get 
water here." His wife was in full sympathy. Yet 
India has no monopoly on the mixing of good and 
evil actions. 

The Hindoo is called the '" Gentle Hindoo." The 
theories of the high caste people would seem to jus- 



^ 

iOr 

k 


ll^^^ 


"^•^^^M^^Bi 




^^HPHH| 







" His wife was in full sympathy." 

tify the term. A man will eat no flesh because to do 
so would justify the taking of life. He will not kill 
a bed bug nor a mosquito nor a flea. If a bed bug 
chance to walk up and down his coat he will pick 
off the poor little fellow, carry him out and drop him 
down. He will put his hands gently on the back of 
a cow that happens to be walking or standing where 
he wishes to go, and he will walk around her. And 



I50 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" The occult powers are produced by birth, herbs, incantations, austeri- 
ties, or samadhi." — Yoga Shastra i : 27. 

when another Hindoo strikes a bullock he is driving, 
some one is sure to call out, " Have mercy, have 
mercy." 

But the same Hindoos will wear leather shoes in 
preference to wooden ones, they will drink water out 




Full of all kinds of little animal lite. 



of a common tank that is full of all kinds of little 
animal life and disease germs, they will eat refined 
white sugar in spite of the way it is refined, they 
would rather see a crippled animal die a slow and 
painful death than to do anything in mercy to has- 
ten its death, and they would rather turn out an 



THE HINDOOS. 



151 



"The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel." — Prov. 12: 10. 

animal to starve than to dispose of him in any other 
way. It's all an inglorious farce, this outward re- 
gard for animals, this calling sacred the pea-fowl, 
the elephant, snake, cow, monkey, and the bull. A 
shop-keeper will drive a starving man from his 
place, but let a wandering bull help himself from 
the grain bin. He will permit a low caste man's 
cow to drink perhaps from a certain vessel, but he 
would not let the owner of the cow so much as touch 
the vessel. They will build a few hospitals for aged 
and infirm animals, and prolong their sufferings as 
much as possible, without medicine and often with 
scanty food, and then talk of the brother- 
hood of all created things! Outside such 
a hospital is usually a crowd of half-starved 
cripples of the genus man, and the whole 
place seems to me a most striking figure 
of modern Hindooism. It is suffering sores 
within, and sore sufferings without! For 
my part I prefer a Httle more of the actual 
brotherhood of man, and am quite willing 
to put up with less of the all-creation broth- 
erhood ; especially since the all-creation the- 
ory seems strangely to exclude man! 

What a gentle Hindoo will do to his 
team is scarcely seen elsewhere. He over- 
works them and underfeeds them. His 
whip is arranged so that it is a prod when 
he thinks necessary. I have seen Desais 
(certain high caste people) hauling brick by 
■ His whip is contract, and in order to get more out of 

arranged." 



152 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Annihilate the fools, slay them and burn them up." — Rig-\'eda 7: 104: i. 

it they beat their poor bullocks till they just lay down 
under the lash. And sometimes pepper is rubbed in- 
to their eyes to make them go on. This is not the 
most frequent thing, to be sure, but who can tell why it 
happens at all in a land where animals are worshiped? 
" Have mercy." They are a people of mercy, yet 
cruelly forgetful at times. Who that has lived in 
India has not heard from behind enclosures the 
thud, thud, of a man beating his wife? Who has 
not seen the tired ox goaded wdth the prod until the 
blood trickled down to the ground? We have seen 
a young man beat his grandmother, and were about 
to run in between them to save the old woman, when 
several Mahomedan men caught *me and said, " Sa- 
hib, never go into a place like that. They'd, both 
be on you in a moment." We have seen a lad use 
the ox-goad to prod his sister in the bare back, be- 
cause she would not do some little thing he had 
ordered her to do. 

And they have sacrifices. Goats, kids, chickens, 
buffaloes are offered here and there in sacrifice. In 
Benares we saw the blood. In Calcutta we saw^ the 
place. In Poona we saw the animal being led oft' 
to the sacrifice. In Bulsar we have seen a kid fon- 
dled in the arms of a man who was carrying it away 
at the time to the sacrificial offering. One poor 
fellow once told me he had done everything he 
knew to cure his sick wife, and all to no avail ; now 
he was leaving her alone for the time while he 
walked twelve miles to a place to offer a kid in sac- 
rifice. This was his last resort. 



THE HINDOOS. 1 53 

" Pray without ceasing." — i Thess. 5: 17. 

About Ahmadebad there is a custom prevailing 
among certain high castes to offer a rooster once a 
year as an atonement. The rooster is in readiness 
when a low caste man is called. He unties the roost- 
er and in the presence of the other man kills it and 
sprinkles a bit of the blood over the doorsill. Then 
for his services the rooster is his, and he takes it 
to his house and there they cook it and eat it. A 
few miles away any young enthusiast is likely to 
deny that there are any sacrifices at all in the whole 
of India. 

Often telling the stor}'- of the creation among the 
common people I have heard this reply: "Adam 
and Eve? O yes, that's the same as our Mahadeo 
and Parvati, only you call them Adam and Eve, 
which is English." Their knowledge of the crea- 
tion is not at all definite, but they have stories of 
creation and a first pair. 

One common expression is that God made the 
world in seven days, three and a half days for all 
things and the other three and a half for a peacock. 
However much or little this idea prevails among 
the uneducated, I do not know, but it shows the 
Hindoo love for the beautifully feathered peacock, 
sacred to them all. 

As to incarnations, one always hears the tale in a 
different way from what he had heard it before. 
Even the number of them is most unreliable. But 
there is a general agreement that there have been 
nine incarnations with faults and frolics, but the 
Spotless One is yet to come. This list of incar- 



154 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" Yonder burning sun is no other than Death. Creatures on this side 

of him die; on the other side are the gods." — Satapatha 

Brahmana 2: 3: 8 : 8. 

nations as they are supposed by the believers to 
have existed is as follows : 

1. The Fish, 

2. The Tortoise, 

3. The Boar, 

4. The Lion, 

5. The Dwarf, 

6. Fersaram, who made 
caste, 




of 



manv 



an ancient 



" Rama." 



7. Krishna, 
wives, 

8. Rama, 
king, 

9. Buddha, 

10. To Come — The Spot- 
less One. 

Many stories are 
current about every 
one of these nine. 
Some say there are thirty-three. Others say there are 
many more. It is most refreshing to know that the 
hordes of Hindoos, crushed with superstition and 
weary with sin, driven on by caste and burdened 
with too much religion, are looking for a Sinless One. 
How easy is the Christian's answer to this longing 
of the human heart. 

The Hindoo idea of God is that of deified men, 
and the men are the Hindoos of all ages. A god 
does the same as men, only on a larger scale. King 



THE HINDOOS. I55 

"Wisdom is the principal thing, therefore get wisdom." — Prov. 4: 7. 

Sagara is said to liave had 60,000 sons born in a 
pumpkin. Hannuman is said to have carried the 
sun under his arm. It is said that Shiva was ready 
to part with all his religious merit acquired by long 
austerities in order that he might gratify his evil 
desires but once with Mohani. The gods had their 
battles in the olden time, and a big god cut oft the 
head of a little one. Justice and mercy are not as- 
sociated. Firmness and kindness are not classed 
together. Holiness is not an essential attribute. 

The Hindoo believes in the doctrine, "According 
to your faith be it unto you," with a vengeance. 
He calls it " having attachment." If he goes into 
water without attachment, then he says he will not 
get wet. That is to say, if going into water he re- 
gards it not as water, then he will not get wet. He 
thinks that if he goes into fire without attachment 
it will not burn him. He thinks that if he sins without 
attachment it will not be sin to him. Whatever 
he does, good or evil, without attachment, is the 
same as though he had not done it. In short, he 
thinks that a thing is true because he thinks it is 
true, but if he believes it not to be true, then it is 
not true, whether it is true or not ! 

A common saying, illustrative of this theory, as it 
applies to the belief in idols, is, 

If you think so, it's a god; 
If you don't, it's but sod. 

This peculiar bent of mind is sometimes manifest 
in religious conversation of any kind. One says a 



156 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Actions defile me not." — Krishna, in Bhagavad Gita 4: 14. 

thing is true. The other says he does not beheve 
it. First says he can prove it. But after the proof 
the other still says he does not believe it. First 
says he was there and saw it. The other still in- 
sists that he does not believe it, and thinks that he 
has thus set up an argument that a thousand on 
the other side could not overthrow. 

They consider it no sin to tell a lie to establish 
a truth. It is no lie to tell a lie with mental reser- 
vation. And there are not a few ever ready to tell 
a lie to establish one already told. It was both piti- 
ful and amusing to read in a Madras Hindoo paper, 
not long ago, an article trying to prove that the 
term " lying Hindoo "' is a misnomer. Ask the dis- 
tance to a place, ask the price of an article, ask the 
quality of goods, ask about the character of a man, 
ask anything, — you must always accept the answer 
with the greatest possible allowance. The Director 
of Public Instruction of Calcutta not long ago said 
he would prefer a single honest lad that could be 
trusted with 200 rupees, to a thousand B. A's. and 
M. A's. It is this moral power, this devotedness 
to truth that Hindooism lacks. 

But it is not all dark, though the blackness of 
darkness is everywhere felt. Hindoos have good 
points too. If I should say that every trait of the 
Hindoo character is bad, and that every characteris- 
tic of the Hindoo religion is bad, I'd be as much of 
an idiot as the Hindoo who admits Christianit}' to be 
the best religion in the world, and yet refuses to 



THE HINDOOS. 157 

" Man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the 
!ieart." — i Sam. 16:7. 

become a Christian because he chooses to regard it 
as a foreign religion. 

In a beautiful sonnet addressed to India, on leav- 
ing that country, Sir Edwin Arnold has these ap- 
propriate lines : 

" Thy shining shores, thy peoples of the sun, 
Gentle, soft-mannered, by a kind word won." 

Among various differing classes that gentle, soft 
manner is often apparent. If one comes to see you 
he will not think of going without asking permission 
first, and he waits to receive the permission. If you 
call upon them they receive you most cordially, giv- 
ing you tea, pan (a leaf) or a few spices as soon as 
you come. Pan is the usual thing. I have often 
eaten it, and like it much for its pleasant astringent 
taste, but I do not make it a habit. The giving of 
flowers is a pleasant custom. One flow^er or a bou- 
quet is often given as a mark of respect on various 
occasions. Strings of flowers are hung around the 
neck of a departing visitor or friend. In every little 
town there is one or more stores where cut flowers 
can be bought for a mere trifle. Meet a man on the 
street and he shows his interest in you by asking 
a lot of the simplest questions ; where are you going, 
what have you got, what did you pay for it, what 
will you do with it, how long will you stay ; and you 
may ask other such questions in return which will 
be appreciated. 

Living as we do, among the people, we have come 
to learn them the same as we learn to know each 
other at home. And we have Hindoo friends who 



158 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" The father obtains immortality, if he sees the face of a living son." — 
Institutes of Vishnu 15: 45. 

are as intelligent, and as agreeable, and friendly 
as anybody could be. Of these close friends, I am 
glad to say there are not a few. And we value them 
as we do any friend at home. Once a man becomes 
your friend, he is likely to remain such, not only 
in your presence, but elsewhere. 

They are profuse in their expressions of praise, 

when they wish to 
speak well of any- 
one, as also there is 
no end to bitter lan- 
guage when there 
is thought to be 






^^ 



^ 






» J. J pi J ^ 








^ 



<jti 



cause for speaking 
ill. We keep some 
of the letters we 
get, for we appre- 
ciate them. 

Not unfrequent 
are the troubles 
arising between 
man and man, but 
they are to be 
praised for their regard for the arbitration idea. 
They have a saying that where there are five, God 
is; which means, the decision of five gives justice. 
And very frequently in a quarrel a company of five 
is agreed upon, and their decision is usually final. 
Each village has its five which settles village trou- 
bles and is more or less permanent. 



" We keep some of the letters." 



THE HINDOOS. 1 59 

"God will render to every man according to his deeds." — Rom. 2: 6. 

At the approach of death the poor Hindoo is usu- 
ally fearful. And there is no end of theories con- 
cerning the state of things after death. The most 
common idea is perhaps that he is to be born over 
again, and the greatest hope is that this oft re- 
peated being born and dying should end, and that 
the soul be absorbed into God, to be itself no more. 
Some think that the soul is carried up for judgment 
in perfumed chariots. Others have the idea that 
they must climb up a slender rope ladder which is 
liable to break at any time, according as the life 
has been. Practically all believe in a future life of 
some sort. Some think the soul lingers about the 
place of death for a time, while others say it goes 
away at once. 

A folklore story tells the imaginations of some 
as to how things go sometimes. A Brahmin went 
to bed in the evening very tired. Being weary he 
forgot to put a little vessel of drinking water on 
the floor under the bed, as was his custom. In the 
night his soul becoming thirsty went to the vessel 
for water, and finding it empty went in search 
of water elsewhere. It came into the house of a 
neighbor, and finding the lid off a water vessel there 
it went into it and was drinking free- 
ly. It so happened that the woman 
of that house was up for some cause 
or other, and just then spying the 
water vessel without a lid on, put ~~^^id'off'= 
it on at once. The man's soul was 
in it, and could not get out. In the morning it was 




i6o 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



"We seek the mighty one for wealth." — Rig- Veda i: 42: 10. 

noised abroad quickly that so-and-so was dead, for 
the soul had not yet come back. Soon the caste- 
men came together 
and the body was 
prepared for the 
burning, placed up- 
on the bamboo bier, 
and carried to the 
river side. After 
a couple houts his 
ashes were thrown 
to the waters. And 
then the woman 
not knowing, went 
to the vv^ater vessel. 
and the confined 
soul made good its 
^\ hen it reached the 



•<1 


/■ 






B&jH 


H^^K 


^1 


HBttH 



" After a couple of hours, his ashes." 



escape. But it was too late, 
house the body was not there, and it went 
wandering. Now it so happened that 
near by a lower caste man was lying at 
the point of death, and the Brahmin's soul 
hovered about there till the other's soul 
escaped, and just at the proper moment 
it went into the other man, who began at 
once to get better, and soon recovered. 
But there was a difference. It was the 
same man in appearance, but not in be- 
havior. He looked like a low caste man, 
he acted and spoke like a Brahmin. He 
went to the house he had formerly occu- a ^ou-ca'ite'''^ 



THE HINDOOS. l6l 

"A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches." — Prov. 22: i. 

pied. They did not know him. He said, '' This 
is my house, and you are my wife." There was 
great consternation, and I never heard how it ended. 

When a bad Hindoo is born over again he is 
born a flea, or gnat, or cow, or low-caste man, or 
something undesirable. In some localities they 
think an adulterer gets his just dues. He is placed 
in judgment and there is made to embrace a metal 
image which is almost white hot. The fierce heat 
kills him, and then he is made alive again and has 
to embrace the form again, wuth the same result. 
This is repeated as often as he was guilty of the 
sin here below. Among others however this sin is 
not considered sin except it be with a relative. 

Others believe a wicked man gets considerable ex- 
perience before he comes back to this world agam. 
" Even on his death-bed huge, monstrous-looking 
figures surround him and especially towards the 
closing moments of his earthly career. These make 
mouths at him, threaten him, terrify him, and inform 
him these horrors are but the mild precursors of 
those which await him in the nether regions. These 
beings are visible to him alone, none of those who 
stand by being able to see them. After his death, 
he is taken care of by Kalan. This monster is fur- 
nished with a long rope and an iron pestle ; and with 
the aid of his grisly looking attendants he strings 
up the dead man on his pestle and carries him off 
to other regions. There he is judged, the celestiaL 
recorder reads out a full and correct account of all 
the man's actions. His sins are to be expiated in 



1 62 INDIA ; A PROBLE:\r. 

" The continents are surrounded severalh' by seven great seas, salt water, 

sugarcane juice, wine, ghee, curd, milk, and of fresh 

water." — Vishnu Purana 2: 7. 

part then and there. A large copper vessel is 
brought and placed over a burning oven. Wvhen 
the fire burns intensely, so that the vessel is white 
hot, it is filled half-full with sand. When the sand 
begins to burn, the sinner is placed in the vessel and 
he and the sand are stirred. He dies again, is forth- 
with restored to life, and the process is repeated. 
Afterwards he is taken out and sent to the hellish 
regions to suffer the pains and torments incidental 
to life there. Some believe that he is kept there 
forever, but others think that when he has sufficient- 
ly Avell atoned for his past sins, he is released in 
order to be born over again in this world, and so 
on forever." ^ 

Among other preparations for the disposal of the 
bod}^ the caste mark is put on the forehead, and a 
small piece of money or a bit of bread is put into the 
mouth. If it is bread, it is prepared with flour made 
by turning the mill backwards. Bread thus pre- 
pared would never be used in any other way. The 
body is burned near some stream if possible, or by 
any water's edge. Some of the lower castes, how- 
ever, bury their dead. 

Life is full of superstitions. There are ghosts, 
omens, signs, the evil eye, evil days and lucky ones, 
evil spirits, devils, haunted burning grounds, pollu- 
tions, demons, possessions, and fantastic ideas ga- 
lore. The cobra is thought to have thousands of 
little legs, and after biting anj-one he can talk to 

^ Malabar and its Folk, by Gopal Tanikkar. 



THE HINDOOS. 



163 



"Study to show thyself approved unto God." — 2 Tim. 2: 15. 

give the reason why, if the person bitten stops to 
ask it. Their geography is false, and astronomy 
too. An ecHpse is caused when the great serpent 
Rahu endeavors to devour sun or moon. During an 
eclipse all people 
and everything is 
polluted, so all 
Hindoos bathe aft- 
er an eclipse. If a 
firefly appears, that 
is a sign that rob- 
bers will appear 
later. The hooting 
of an owl is a very 
bad sign, — it means 
that somebody is 
going to die. If 
one speaks of a 

lizard it will be able to catch no food that day. 
Little red insects which appear soon after the be- 
ginning of the monsoons are believed to fail from 
the heavens. Rama stroked a squirrel with his 
hand, and from that time it had stripes. To speak 
well of a little child is to bring it ill luck. If a cat 
cross one's path he'd better go back. If there is 
itching in the palm of the hand or on the sole of 
the foot, it means that money is coming. The ex- 
act moment of a child's birth is carefully recorded 
that the horoscope may be made out properly. The 
horoscope determines the child's future for good or 
evil. It is the extremity of wickedness to be born 




Geography is false." 



164 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Om, the word of glory." — Yoga Shastra i : 27. 

during an eclipse. If a man shave on special days 
he will get a certain disease. When a new house 
is built, one of the family will die. The first thing 
a man sees on waking in the morning determines 
his good or ill luck that day. Some think the dove 
a bird of evil. The lizard is a great prophet of the 
future. 

With all these doubts and fears, with all these 
superstitions and mythologies, the poor 
Hindoo trudges on in his weary way. He 
could exchange all this for the jo\s and 
hopes and consolations and aspirations 
and assurances of the Christian's happy 
life, but he has no^ learned to think so. 
He has not yet appreciated this. But he 
will not go on forever in this unwonted 
way. The Hindoo idea of life must give 
place to something sweeter and purer and 
better. This, their idea of life, one of their 
own poets aptly expresses when he says : 

" How many births are past I cannot tell; 
How many yet to come no man can say; 
But this alone I know and know full well, 
That pain and grief embitter all the way." 




MATERIALS FOR A COMPARISOX-STUDY 

OF THE RELIGIOUS PROBLEM 

IN INDIA. 

Chapter Eight. 

"And many shall follow their pernicious ways." — 2 Peter 2: 2. 

It is not claimed that this table is complete. As 
a comparison of religions in India to-day, however, 
it will be found more and more interesting. The 
comparison is for India only, as will be evident from 
No. 28 in the Parsee column, and No. 8 in the Bud- 
dhist column. I have dear friends among the Cath- 
olic people, who will be surprised, as well as we 
were, at the contents of the middle column. There 
is a question as to No. 20 of the Buddhist column, 
but missionaries in Burma write that Buddhism makes 
no converts there. Yet Ave know that there have 
been conversions to the Buddhist religion. It is sug- 
gested that the reader add such Scripture references 
as he may think best suited, one for each number. 

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AAz^tiat Has Been Done. 



PA Rx -r\A/o 



CALCUTTA. 

Chapter Nine. 

"Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of 
the law." — Rom. 13: 10. 

Calcutta is a modern city, founded by one Job 
Charnock, who set up a factory there in 1690, mar- 
ried a Hindoo woman, and Hved in many respects 
hke a Hindoo. The village was named after Kali 
ghat, where there was a temple to Kali the goddess 
to whom many sacrifices of goats and buffaloes are 
continually made. It is about ninety miles from the 
sea, situated upon the Hoogli River, whose channel 
often proves dangerous on account of the ever-pres- 
ent quicksands, in changing localities. 

Calcutta is at the present time the largest city in 
India, and is called the city of palaces. It is the 
capital of the whole Indian empire. The viceroy has 
his residence here during the winter months, but in 
the heated part of the year he dwells at Simla, high 
up in the mountains. There are many splendid gov- 
ernment buildings, spacious residences, factories, ho- 
tels and parks, monuments and colleges and churches, 
and as many an English resident has termed it, " a 
beastly climate." The only glass factory in India that 

is carried on with English methods is in Calcutta. 

169 



CALCUTTA. 



171 



" Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God." — Matt. 5: 9. 

The average Bengali is keen of intellect, usually 
aspiring to some office under Government, and like 
all Indians, is a lover of leisure. Many a one, like 
Mozoomdar prefers to spend the latter days of life 
in complete retirement and isolation. One of the first 
things that a stranger in Calcutta notices, is the cus- 
tom of nearly all the BengaH men to go bareheaded 
on the streets, wrapping only a large scarf about 
the neck even in cold weather. 

It was here that Carey landed in 1793, and a few 
years later, when he was joined by Alarshman and 
Ward, all would have been sent home together, but 
they made their way to Serampore, a Danish settle- 
ment some thirteen miles distant. And not far from 
Serampore College, a Baptist institution, lie together 
the remains of that trio of pioneer Christian mis- 
sionaries. Their own people would have driven out 

. _^^ then whom now 

the world delights 
tO' honor. 

The black hole 
of Calcutta is so 
entirely a thing of 
the past that the 
majority of the 
people there could 
not even point out 
the place perhaps 
of fearful suffoca- 
tion. In fact the 




The beautiful post office. 



172 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Cows take away every sin." — Inst. Vishnu 23: 58. 

beautiful post office, with its high dome, stands on the 
site of the once famous black hole. 

It is a strang-e comment that religious liberty has to 
fight for life sometimes against its sworn defenders. 
Beadon square, Calcutta, was for fifty years a public 
preaching place, but in 1881 an effort was made to 
stop all public preaching in four principal squares, 
without special permission. The chairman of the mu- 
nicipal commissioners, who was also the head of the 
police department, was a Roman Catholic, appointed 
by a Lieutenant Governor, who was " hostile both to 
missions and to morality." When speaking to a quiet 
crowd one Sunday, the police came up to the mission- 
aries and ordered the preaching to be stopped. It con- 
tinued, and on a later preaching occasion the preach- 
ers were arrested. Sentiment was with the mission- 
aries, who claimed they wanted only what rights were 
granted to all, and in this instance what had been 
enjoyed by all for many years. The case came to 
court, and the trial continued for two weeks. The 
decision was given by four judges, one a Mahome- 
dan, one a Hindoo, and two Englishmen, and was 
unanimous in favor of the missionaries. And from 
that day to this, there has been no interference with 
the preaching of the Gospel in the open air of Cal- 
cutta. If any one traveling in India should wish 
to exercise in the open air labors so common to mis- 
sionaries, he would not fail to get a crowd of will- 
ing listeners. 

There arc more than thirty churclies and chapels 
in Calcutta, and more than a dozen dift'erent mis- 



CALCUTTA. 173 

" For by grace are ye saved through faith." — Eph. 5: 8. 

sionary societies engaged in the various numerous 
phases of mission work. And the whole number of 
missionaries is about 150, counting educational as well 
as medical missionaries, also their wives who certainly 
take a part in the work. There are more than thir- 
ty-five Sunday schools, and open-air preaching is very 
common. 

Many private schools are conducted by Hindoos 
on their own accord. Often these Hindoo teachers can 
be induced to assemble their scholars for an hour on 
Sundays, when the Christian workers come and hold 
a Sunday school. The children all like these special 
sessions on the Lord's day. 

I am told that there are about fifteen different native 
Christian congregations in Calcutta, several of these 
being entirely self-supporting. It requires but a per- 
sonal acquaintance with some of the men and women 
who are the Indian Christians, to realize what a 
wonderful thing is the religion which we have in- 
herited. In this city alone, at the present time are 
twenty-five ordained native ministers in the different 
missions, there are six Indian Christian lawyers, twelve 
doctors, both men and women, six have visited for- 
eign countries, twenty are in prominent positions un- 
der Government, as assistant postmaster general, sub- 
judge, etc. ; ten are editors or authors, six are mer- 
chants, and forty odd are engaged in some depart- 
ment of mission work in addition to the ordained 
ministers mentioned before. 

Work among the many students is carried on in 



174 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" He must not eat during an eclipse of the moon or sun."— Inst, of 
Vishnu 68: i. 

part now by Bengali Christians, and is increasingly 
interesting. A high-caste man has to endure untold 
persecutions even in the capital city, if he dares to 
come out and be baptized. He may do anything else. 
In the well chosen words of Rob- 
ert P. Wilder, in his little book 
" Among India's Students," a 
babu, as a Bengali gentleman is 
called, " may cease worshiping 
idols, he may neglect the Hindoo 
shastras and read the Bible. He 
may believe in Jesus and confess 
Him openly by word of mouth. 
All this will not make an out- 
caste of him. But the moment 
he is baptized, persecution be- 
gins, — then, and then only, he is regarded as real- 
ly a Christian by his Hindoo friends." 

The census shows the people of Calcutta to be di- 
vided relisriouslv as follows : 




" Bengali Christians." 



Hindoos, 555462 

Mahomedans, 249,939 

Christians, 37,925 

Buddhists 2,903 

Jains, - 1,241 

Aborigines 691 

Parsees 290 

Sikhs 153 

Total, 844.604 



CALCUTTA. 175 

" The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God." — i Cor. 3: 19. 

In the whole of the Bengal Presidency there are 
275,000 Christians, of Avhom 27,000 are Europeans, 
and 23,000 are Eurasians. This leaves the presidency 
then, some 225.000 Indian Christians. 




JUDSON AND THE KARENS. 
Chapter Ten. 

"The killer of a cow (is born) blind." — Inst, of Vishnu 45: 19. 

Adoniram Judson was born in 1788. Like all oth- 
er American boys, he was active and hopeful from 
his youth up. He entered college when sixteen years 
of age. He was a careful student, and finished with 
honor. At college, however, he was intimately as- 
sociated with a bright young man who doubted the 
truth of the Scriptures, and both together grew into 
infidelity. 

When out on a journey Judson once stopped at 
a country hotel, where he was received with the ex- 
planation that he would have to sleep next room to 
a young man who was likely to die at any time. He 
said that made no difference, only he felt sorry for 
the young man. In the night he kept thinking of his 
near neighbor, and how he would feel if they were 
to exchange places. " Was he ready to die ? Am I ? " 

In the morning he inquired how the sick man was, 
and learned that he was dead. " Do you know who 
he was ? " And Judson was dumb-struck to learn 
that the man was his old friend of college, com- 
panion in unbelief, partner in doubt. All their ex- 
periences together quickly came again before him. 
How weak tlicir boasted self-strength seemed to be. 
It was not long after this time that Judson made a 

radical change, and dedicated himself to the God 

176 



J UDSON AND THE KARENS. I77 

" Though j^our sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." — 
Isaiah i : 18. 

of all truth. He uniied with the Congregational 
church. 

Married in 1812, he and his wife, and others, sailed 
that same year for Calcutta, with a view to take up 
mission work in India. On the way he thought to 
prepare himself with Scripture argument, to meet 
the trio of English Baptist missionaries with whom 
he would necessarily come in contact. In doing so, 
he honestly sought out all the Scripture references 
on baptism and pondered them in his heart, with 
the result that they both had decided to be immersed 
when they reached their destination. Luther Rice, 
who had sailed on another vessel, had the same ex- 
perience on the voyage. All were v/armly welcomed 
by Carey in Calcutta. 

In those days the East India Company ruled the 
land, and missionaries, especially Americans, were not 
welcome. The Judsons and Mr. Rice were ordered 
to leave at once, and after many hardships finally 
reached Burma. Rice returned to America to enlist 
the sympathy of the Baptists, since their change of 
faith. 

After six years of labor on the language, during 
which time he ma.de a Burman grammar and trans- 
lated the Gospel of Matthew, he began publicly to 
preach the Gospel to the Burmese. And two or three 
accepted Christ as their Savior. Within five months 
seven others were added to the fold. 

Two other missionaries now joined them on the 
field. Mrs. Judson's health was failing, and she was 



178 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

» 
" A man being contented with his own particular lot and duty obtaineth 
perfection." — Bhagavad Gita 18: 45. 

sent home for a change. He continued the work of 
translation, so that by the time of her return the New 
Testament was completed. Dr. Rice, a medical mis- 
sionary had been sent, besides, two other new help- 
ers returned with Mrs. Judson. 

These were all in separate stations when the Bur- 
mese war broke out, and Judson and Rice were thrown 
into prison. No one can portray a native prison in 
a tropical clime. No one can adequately describe the 
dirt and filth and vermin and horrors of existence in 
such a place. With foul air and stifling hot, with 
scanty and dirty food, under torture and threatenings, 
at this distance one can scarcely see how the mission- 
aries Hved through it all. 

First at Ava, and later at Oung-pen-la they lay for 
twenty-one months in the prisons. At first ^Nlrs. Jud- 
son went frecjuently to the prison to give decent 
food to the suffering prisoners, but later she became 
mother, and nursed the little one and several native 
girls through a siege of the smallpox. At this ex- 
ceedingly critical juncture, after many entreaties, 
Judson was permitted to go about town in fetters 
and in charge of the jailer, seeking some Burman 
mother to nourish his puny infant for him. In it 
all they endured and trusted with that moral courage 
which is the crown and glory of the Christian faith. 
And as long as the world stands, the wifely tlevo- 
tion of the one, and the strong manliness of the oth- 
er shall not cease to be told in devoted and sanc- 
tified homes. 



JUDSON AND THE KARENS. 



179 



"Godliness with contentment is great gain." — i Tim. 6: 6. 

At the close of the war, being again free, the Eng- 
lish Government offered him $2,000 a year to act as 
interpreter, but he felt that his calling was to preach 
the Gospel. However, he accompanied the British 
ambassy to the native court at Ava, among other 
things desiring religious liberty for the Burmese. 

And while waiting 
here, his loving com- 
panion died of a fever, 
watched over by na- 
tive Christians, who 
were faithful enough, 
but helpless in the 
hour of need. That 
was a sad return to 
the mission home in 
Burma, and to the 
work. What might 
he have done for her, 
had he been there ! 

To Amherst, whith- 
er they together had 
gone from Rangoon, he now sadly returned. The mis- 
sion to Ava had been a failure, and his home was all 
broken up. Then he set himself to work with re- 
newed energy to translate the Old Testament. 

One of the men who was working in the mission 
home as a water-carrier, a slave whom Judson had 
freed, sat reading a bit of a tract that his master 
had written. It was in Burmese, and he read it 
with difificulty. 




Mission home in Burma." 



l80 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" He who pervades everything, and who is devoid of form." — Inst, of 
Vishnu 97 : 3. 

Spelling out the message, however, he soon learned 
that it was for him as well as for other people. It 
came to him with great power as he thought of the 
traditions of his own people. He heard the story 
of the Word from Judson, and speedily took it all 
in. His own tribe had been hoping for that kind 
of thing for years. And thus Ko Tha Byu became 
the first Karen convert. 

As afterward they learned, the Karens were a pas- 
toral people with traditions astonishing. They feared 
the proud Burmese, and often scared a child into si- 
lence by telling it that a Burman was coming. They 
had the story of the creation, the temptation and the 
fall, the expulsion, and in rather indefinite w^ay, the 
story of the flood as common tradition among them. 
More, they told how that at one time they had the 
true religion, and because of their sins, God had 
caused them to lose the Book, and when He was 
ready He would restore to them the knowledge of 
the Truth by means of pale races beyond the great 
deep. 

Some of the precepts prevailing among- these in- 
teresting hill people run as if they had been copied 
verbatim. " O children and grandchildren ! do not 
worship idols or priests. If you worship them you 
obtain no advantage thereby, while you increase A'our 
sins exceedingly." 

Ko Tha Byu, fired with the thought that the 
kingdom of heaven was at hand, that tlie hope of 
his people had come, became one of the strongest 




JUDSON AND THE KARENS. l8l 

"Preach the word." — 2 Tim. 4: 2. 

workers in the Gospel. Judson, Boardman and Wade 
were working side by side. Boardman went to Ta- 
voy, where Ko Tha Byu brought to him many seek- 
ers after the Word. In December, 1830, eighteen 
Karens became Christians. Every- 
where they journeyed they found 
these people eager hearers of this the 
long lost message. The next year 
thirty-one were received into the 
church. ]\Iany made the good con- 
fession, but wise missionaries only 
baptize such as seem to know thor- 
Became Christians." oughly wcll what they are doing. 

New helpers had been added from 
home. Boardman had died. Judson's little daughter 
had died. The Karen language had been reduced to 
writing, and a spelling book had been completed. 
Many a Karen village had become entirely Christian. 
A Bible school had been opened with seventeen stu- 
dents, of whom twelve were Karens. A young chief 
of unusual brightness had been gained among the 
converts, and in '39 it was reported that a thou- 
sand were waiting to be received into the church. 
All this, however, not without much opposition from 
the powers of darkness. Many a pitiable story of 
heartless persecution was told by these believers, but 
when it was found that they would rather die than give 
up their newly found treasure, the Burman governor 
issued an order that they should be allowed to worship 
" their God," in order that they should not all migrate. 



l82 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"A giver of food gains imperishable bliss." — Laws of Manu 4: 229. 

Judson continued his untiring labors until the end. 
In 1840 the last page of the Old Testament was fin- 




" A Karen village." 

ished. He worked unceasingly, and had a special pas- 
sion for preaching the Gospel. And he pressed ev- 
erywhere this idea, that the native church must be 
as soon as possible a self-supporting, self-governing 
and self-expanding body. Seized with fever in 1850 
he Avent to sea, but it was of no avail. He died on 
the vo}'age, and his body was committed to the waves 
of the Indian Ocean. 

There was no funeral hymn, but the song of the 
sea it seems to me has been a funeral hymn ever 
since. No man in America had done so much toward 
getting Christians to see the spirit of the Great Teach- 
er's last words. It was the position of Judson and 



JUDSON AND THE KARENS. 



183 



"Freely ye have received, freely give." — Matt. 10: 8. 

a few others that led to the formation and the estab- 
Hshing of the American Board of Commissioners for 
Foreign Missions. It was his change of views on 
baptism, for conscience' sake, that led to the organi- 
zation of the American Baptist Missionary Union. It 
was the record of his labors and sufferings for the 
Master's sake that sent a thrill of holy enthusiasm 
into the hearts of God's children all round the world. 
In the year he died there were over six thousand 
Karen converts rejoicing too in the hope of a risen 
Lord. 

Now some poor souls labor under the idea that 
missions do not pay. Well, fifty years after the bap- 
tism of Ko Tha Byu the Karen Christians in Burma 
numbered 20,000. That same year they dedicated the 
Ko Tha Byu Memorial Hall and Industrial Institute 
at Bassein, and on the day of dedication the build- 
ing fund had reached about $22,000 and all debts 




" Ko Tha Byu Memorial Hall " 



184 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"One who has stolen salt becomes a cricket." — Inst, of Vishnu 44: 24. 

were paid. This was all at the cost of the Bassein 
Karens besides their regular contributions to other 
phases of the work. 

And in 1880 the Burma contributions to the Bap- 
tist Missionary Union amounted to $31,600. Third 
in the whole list ! That year Massachusettts gave 
$41,300 and New York $39,400! Of the Burma do- 
nations the Karen churches gave $30,000! There are 
now 120,000 native Christians in Burma, of whom 
some 64,000 are Karen converts. And they support 
^^^^ their own pastors and pay their own teach- 
ers. And the work still advances. 'Tis 
only a beginning. But what a future is 
most surely in store ! 

This is the way it grows. In 1850 there 
was a church membership of 7,904 and 
114 native preachers. In i860, members 
15,986 and preachers 372. In 1870, mem- 
bers 19,846 and preachers 471. In 1880 
members 21,968 and preachers 548. In 
1890, members 30,253 and preachers 610. 
In 1900, members 79,894 and preachers 
673. And these Karen converts alone, 
during the last three years have given out 
of their poverty, total contributions, $61,- 
562, $48,560, $69,574, respectively in 1899, 
1900 and 1 90 1. 

' This is the way iTgiws." The careful student of the Word must 
rejoice in the divine fitness of things as 
he contemplates the waiting Karen in the hills and 
valleys of Burma; the willing Christian with tender 




JUDSON AND THE KARENS. 185 

" All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the Lord." 
Psalms 22 : 27. 

conscience, going forth with weeping to bear the 
Gospel of the kingdom to all the world; and the 
happy hosts of heaven, jubilant in watching over the 
sons of men as they gladly give and gladly receive 
the message of the Eternal King. 



THE AMERICAN BOARD MISSIONS. 
Chapter Eleven. 

" He must not touch food with his foot, nor sneeze upon it." — Inst, of 
\'ishnu 71 : 2, 3. 

When in 1812 Judson and Newell set sail for 
India in one boat and Hall, Rice and Nott went 
in another, they went under the American Board of 
Commissioners for Foreign Missions (Congregation- 
al), the only one that existed for foreign missions at 
that time in the United States. It seems most fitting 
that their initials should be the ABC for Foreign 
Missions. The East India Company was harder than 
heathen, so Judson and Rice were led on toward Bur- 
ma, while the others made their way back from Calcut- 
ta to Bombay. But Newell went to Ceylon. Mrs. 
Newell died the same year. This was the beginning of 
missions. What trials those first missionaries had ! 
How different it is with missionaries at the present 
time! 

It was slow growth those days. In 1831 but five 
of the ten men sent out yet remained alive, and there 
had been scarcely more native Christians received. 
But the New Testament had been translated into the 
Marathi language and a few school books published. 
In '33 a church was organized in Ahmednagar. Few 
converts were won, but some of these were noble 
fellows from the Brahmin and Mahomedan communi- 
ties. Such names as Kader Yar Khan, Ramkrishna- 
punt, Haripunt, Vishnu B. Karmarker and others take 

:86 



THE AMERICAN BOARD MISSIONS. 



187 



"Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man." — Matt. 15: 11. 

a prominent place in the history of the American 
Marathi Mission. 

Once Karmarker was asked on the street if he 
had read the Bible, and he proudly answered that 
he had not so much as seen one, neither did he want 
to see one. But he decided as an intelligent man to 
read the Book and then judge it. He began by scor- 
ing, " In the beginning God created the heavens and 
the earth," as a lie, but he ended realizing that his 
own religion was much like a foundation of sand. 
When he became a Christian, there was great com- 
motion, but he stood firm, avoiding all the attempts 
to seize him. Finally his father held a cremation cer- 
emony to show to all that he counted his son as one 
dead. 

In '55 there was a change of plan in the mis- 
sion, requiring less educational and more evangelistic 
effort. Sirur and Satara had been occupied, and now 
at Rahuri and Sholapur respectively, in '60 and '61, 
missionaries were located. The school at Rahuri for 
example was quite 
a little thing, but 
in igoi what a dif- 
ference ! At Ah- 
mednagar now 
there are two 
churches, having 
two sessions of 
Sunday school, 
one following the 
other, for the 




" The school at Rahuri." 



l88 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"He must not give advice to a sudra." — Inst, of Vishnu 71: 48. 

buildings are not large enough to hold at one time 
all who come. And both sessions are crowded ! Here 
too is a well-conducted high school and a theolog- 
ical seminary with twenty-one students, and indus- 
trial work both in shops and on the farm for the boys 
of the two late famines. And this mission alone has 
3,300 of these orphan boys and girls in their care! 

What with Evangelistic work, Educational work, 
Medical work, colporteurs, Zenana workers, Bible 
women, Sunday schools. Orphanages, and Home for 
the blind, is it any wonder if they should point with 
humble pride to the Christian community of over 
10,500 souls? 

One of the missionaries reports a common ex- 
perience to them all. 

One Sunday afternoon a company of sixteen farm- 
ers headed by the town clerk came to the mission 
house. They had a list of the names of sixty chil- 
dren. " These are the names of children in our vil- 
lage. We have come to ask for a teacher," they 
said. " But our teacher will be a Christian. He will 
teach from the Bible. He will tell the children and 
everybody about Christ." " We know that, but we 
want a teacher. We have a place that you may use 
for a schoolhouse. The teacher can live there also. 
You may use it as you will. It belongs to a Brahmin 
of our town. W'e will pay for the books. When will 
the teacher come ? " 

When Xewell went to Ceylon he could not remain, 
but in 1816, four years after his first visit to that 
country he was permitted to see seven other workers 



THE AMERICAN BOARD MISSIONS. 



189 



" Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us." — 
I John 4: 10. 

located there. They chose Jaffna, the extreme north 
part of the island, where the language is Tamil. It 
was here in this field of labor that Eliza Agnew spent 
fortv-three years of her life without once returning 
to her native land. She had constant charge of the 
Oodooville Girls' school for three generations. She 
was called " Mother of a thousand daughters," and 




" In 1901 what a difference." 



when she laid down her armor it was found that 
more than six hundred of her girls were in some 
way or other doing missionary work ! 

The work has grown until at the present time there 
are eighteen organized native churches, and 136 vil- 
lage and English schools with 10,500 pupils, three 
boarding schools with a hundred scholars each. And 
the people pay for the support of these nearly all 
themselves. Last year, apart from the support of 
the missionaries, the Home Board gave for the work 
but $2,267. They have two hospitals, and a native 
home and foreign mission board in complete running 
order. And two stations once the scene of missionary 
homes, are likely not to be occupied as such again, 



IQO INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" O Fire, thou knowest what mortals do not comprehend." — Inst, of 
\'ishnu 1 1 : 12. 

as the people do not require it. When the mission 
began there, but three women could be found who 
could read, and now there are thousands, and they 
can do more than read ! 

The mission in Ceylon, seeing its opportunity across 
the strait from Jaffna, began in 1834 the mission 
in Madura. The language was the same, and in 
many respects the people were the same. The first 
convert came three years later, a high caste servant 
of one of the missionaries. Around about JMadura 
was found a tremendous field for labor. The dis- 
trict is larger than the State of Massachusetts, and 
has more people in it. Madura is the only town of 
more than 20,000 inhabitants. After eleven years the 
mission had gathered 120 communicants. 

In South India caste asserts itself very decidedly. 
Roman Catholics and Syrian Catholics adhere to caste, 
and 'twere no wonder the mission found itself con- 
fronted with the question in a very serious Avay. 
There were Christians keeping caste too ! So the 
church took some very drastic measures, and felt 
exceedingly sorry about it when there were in 1847 
thirty-eight native helpers and thirty-four others dis- 
missed from church fellowship at one time. Caste is 
of the evil one. It will do for Hindoos, but not for 
Christians. The mission experienced blessing from the 
action, and after a few years seven native pastors had 
been ordained and twenty-seven churches organized ! 

The famine of 'yy left its legacy of children here, 
and at the present time cultivators, clerks, schoolmas- 



THE AMERICAN BOARD MISSIONS. 



191 




" Buy the truth, and sell it not." — Prov. 23: 23. 

ters, Bible-women and preachers may be found in dif- 
ferent parts of the mission. The village work often 

takes a definite beginning 
with a little school, then 
comes a little country 
church, and this is fol- 
lowed by a healthy grow- 



" A little school." 



1 n g congrega- 
tion with an or- 
d a i n e d native 
pastor and more 
congenial ac- 
commod ations. 
Of the twenty- 
five native pas- 
tors thus located none is supported with foreign money. 




A little country church.*' 




A health} gio\\ing Longrcgation.' 



192 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" If a low caste man mention the name or caste of a superior revilingly, 

an iron pin ten inches long shall be thrust into his 

mouth red hot." — Inst, of Vishnu 5: 25. 

The missionaries have the custom of holding a 
regular monthly meeting, at which time all the vil- 
lage workers and Christian helpers of the towns 
throughout the district are gathered together for gen- 
eral discussion and pleasant fellowship and mutual 
exchange of experience. Sometimes representatives 
of what had been eighteen different castes are thus 
together as one, a fact suggestive enough to a thought- 
ful Hindoo. 

In the early days of the work an entrance is often 
the most difficult to be obtained. How can it be oth- 
erwise with those who know not the Lord Christ? 
But after the missionary is known and his motives are 
clearly seen, and his religion has been demonstrated 
before the most skeptical, then it is that parents of- 
ten come to the missionary and say, " We are too 
old to become Christians. Why should we change 
now? But we are willing that our children should 
be Christians. You may take them and teach them 
as you wish." 

One Hindoo family was attacked by cholera. They 
did not take medicine, believing that their offerings 
and vows would appease the wrath of the god. 
The father died. Then they destroyed their family 
god and thrust him out who had proved powerless 
to help in time of greatest need. And now at the 
very place where the idol stood for so many years 
hangs a beautiful picture of the Savior talking with 
the Samaritan at the well. 



THE AMERICAN BOARD MISSIONS. 



193 



" My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not." — Prov. i : 10. 

The medical work has taken a prominent place 
in the operations of the mission. In Madura are two 
large hospitals, the one for women and children re- 
porting for the year 41,000 cases. It is in the care 
of a lady doctor. The other, the mission general hos- 
pital, reports nearly 23,000 cases in a year, with over 
1,200 surgical 
operations. The 
Hindoos them- 
selves erected 
this hospital 
building, appro- 
p r i a t i ng four 
c o n s i derable 
sums out of the 
funds of their 
idol temples ! 

There are 
twenty-seven missionaries, men and women, located 
in twelve towns, 355 congregations and 268 Sunday 
schools, and from school-teacher to ordained min- 
ister all told 645 native assistants. Yet we can not 
depend too much on statistics. A year of healthy 
growth is the most significant, surrounded by a big- 
oted and superstitious mass of heathenism. The A. 
B. C. for Foreign Missions has twenty stations 
throughout the world, and of the native Christian com- 
munity this represents, nearly one-half (28,000) are to 
be found in the three missions in India ! Last year 
these three missions received into membership on con- 
fession of faith fully one-third of all that were re- 




" The Hindoos themselves erected this hospital." 



194 INDIA; A PROBLEAI. 

"Lord of all prosperity, make riches easy to be won." — Rig- Veda i: 42: 6. 

ceived by the missions of the Board throughout the 
world ! 

High-caste men Hke to ridicule low-caste converts. 
A lad of the lowest came to a missionary. He worked, 
grew, became a Christian, was educated, taught a 
school of coolies, was honest, got promoted, was 
trusted, and became superintendent of a coffee plan- 
tation in Ceylon. He had been absent from home for 
many years when he wrote that he was coming, and 
not being able to wait for a reply he followed close 
after the letter. His mother could scarcely believe 
her eyes. She embraced his feet and kissed them, 
crying continually, " My golden son ! My golden son ! 
J\Iy golden son ! " And when all were ready to give 
attention, this was what he said, " Since I left you, 
the Lord has done me only good. He has given me 
an education. He has given me a beautiful wife. She 
too is educated. He has given me children. He has 
given me houses and lands. Why has he done this ? 
I will tell you. It is because I took Jesus into my 
heart. 

" Here the people call you pariahs, and you must not 
touch them. You are living- in these wretched huts, 
and are suffering from hunger. I live in a bungalow. 
I am. master of three hundred coolies. What a dif- 
ference! And why is this? I will tell you. Je- 
sus Christ whom I took into my heart has made this 
difference in me. I have come to tell you. What 
He has done for me He will do for you. I want you 
to give up your idols and accept Jesus." 

Then he ceased speaking, and gave his old mother a 



THE AMERICAN BOARD MISSIONS. I95 

"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want." — Psalms 23: i. 

handful of money. He had a school built in the vil- 
lage. He arranged to support the teacher in the 
school, which he is doing now. He promised to pay 
the necessary expenses of all who would advance far 
enough to enter the boarding school at the mission. 
He went back to Ceylon, and the old mother dwells 
in the little village, happy in her new circumstances. 
This all happened in a very little village with a very 
big name, the village of Satthurusangarakottai. 



MADRAS. 

Chapter Twelve. 

" He who stands repeating the savitri in the morning removes all noc- 
turnal sin." — Laws of Manu 2: 102. 

Madras is third in size of the three great presi- 
dency cities. It is a city without a navigable river, 
without a good harbor, and without any coast 
protection. It extends for nine miles along the sandy 
seashore, and about three miles back, and is a good 
specimen of what English genius can do in the way 
of enterprise, for it is a splendid city now. It is 
composed of twenty-three towns and villages, divided 
only by parks and rivers. Black Town is behind a 
stone bulwark from the sea. Triplicane is especially 
Mahomedan in its make-up. Little Mount bears the 
legend of St. Thomas, and here is a church supposed 
to be built on the spot where the apostle Thomas 
was buried, called St. Thomas' church. From the 
lighthouse the view of the city is excellent, and the 
coast line stretches before us for miles. 

The city throbs with oriental life and customs, and 
has its own characteristics. The contrasts in these 
large cities are always marked. Here is the splendid 
library and museum, one of the finest of its kind, and 
along in the front of it walk crowds of thinly-clad, 
ill-fed natives. Here are the fine high-court build- 
ings, whose tallest tower serves the purpose of light- 
house, and the streets are full of dealers ever ready 

to take advantage of the unwary purchaser. Here 

196 



MADRAS. 



197 



" Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in 
him." — I John 4: 15. 

are the great colleges, and the teeming multitudes 
can not read. Out on the crest of the ocean lie 
the finest ships of modern structure, and the transfer 




The view of the city is excellent." 

boats from the ship to the shore are of the most prim- 
itive style, manned by oarsmen with scarcely any 
clothes on. 

Progress in Madras is marked, and in some respects 
surpasses that of any other city in India. It is said 
that even the com- 
mon coolie engaged 
in servile work at 
ten cents a day 
knows English, and 
speaks it quite idi- 
omatically. 

According to the 



recent census, of the 




Library and Museum." 



198 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Remember God frequently that ye may prosper." — Koran 62: 10. 

2,923,349 Christians in India, no less than 1,973,439 
are in the JMadras Presidency and its neighboring na- 
tive states. The increase during the decade has been 
twenty per cent, far surpassing that of any other 
people. In JMadras among Christians one in fifteen, 
among Hindoos one in one hundred and thirty-two, 
among- Mahomedans one in one hundred and fifty- 
seven know English. The difference shows yet a 
greater contrast when we speak of women. In every 

ten thousand Hindoo women 

there are only seventy who 

are able to read and write; 

of the same number of Ma- 

homedan women eighty-six, 

of Jains one hundred and 

fifty-five, and of Christians 

913. Indeed, of the 20,314 

women who can read and 

write in the Madras Presi- 

" Able to read and write." dcucy 18,442 are Christians ! 

For every thousand men 

twenty-six are Christians, but of every thousand who 

can read and write forty-five are Christians ! 

The Madras Christian College stands a prominent 
institution of which we make mention in a later chap- 
ter. There are twenty-seven churches, and some sev- 
enty-six missionaries, forty-five Sunday schools, and 
over 5,000 Protestant Indian Christians. In Madras 
Christianity is older and stronger than in any other 
place in India, so that we meet here conditions which 




MADRAS. 199 

"I will be exalted among the heathen." — Psalms 46: 10. 

are not found elsewhere, and which also enable one 
to form a probable idea of the future at other points. 
The C. M. S. in Madras have placed the native church 
council into the hands of the native Christians alto- 
gether, and everything connected with the native 
churches there is under their control. Only a few 
European missionaries of this mission remain there. 
And the work seems exceedingly prosperous by the 
arrangement. Voluntary mission work is engaged in 
to some extent, and the annual contributions are $i,6oo, 
from about 2,300 members. 

In Travencore State the L. M. S. have about a 
hundred self-supporting congregations, while in the 
city the church almost supports its pastorate itself. 

The Madras Native Christian Association is an 
organization among native Christians with an avowed 
object "to promote the welfare of the native Chris- 
tian community by every legitimate means in its pow- 
er," and with an added proviso that it " shall not 
raise any question regarding or otherwise interfering 
with, the distinctive doctrine or practice of any de- 
nomination." A provident fund is connected with the 
association. An outgrowth of the movement has been 
The Christian Patriot, a weekly paper in English with 
a native Christian editor backed by native Chris- 
tian capital. I have been a subscriber to The Chris- 
tian Patriot for a number of years, and expect to 
continue it. 

The Y. M. C. A. in Madras especially enjoys the 



200 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 




" O Salakratu, truly I have made none else my comforter." — Rig- 
Veda 8: 69: I. 

liberality of John Wanamaker, who has built for that 
organization there a magnificent building costing 
$100,000. As in other cities, the open-air preaching 
is a thing of frequent occurrence, and Hindoo as 
well as Mahomedans may be heard expounding their 
theories on the streets. The Young- Men's Hindoo 

Association does 
not have to labor 
much to show 
where it gets its 
ideals. The Ve- 
dantic Philoso- 
phists and Bud- 
dhists too preach 
their isms to all 
that will stop to 
listen. Amidst 
all this conflict- 
ing teaching, is it 
a wonder that the poor Hindoo sometimes asks whether 
man made God, or God made man? To those of us 
who are able to judge a tree by its fruit, one good 
Christian convert, who was nothing before, and true 
and trustworthy, strong and manly now by the grace 
of God, would be enough. Good men and women 
have become Christians, and these only become the 
stronger for having done so. JMadras has a full share 
of both kinds of converts, weak and strong, low caste 








" The liberality of John Wanamaker. 



MADRAS. 



20 1 



"If I depart, I will send him (the Comforter) unto you." — John 16: 7. 

and high caste, of whom many deserve only the high- 
est praise for their bravery and fortitude. 

Sooboonagam Ammal, who recently visited Amer- 
ica, is a splendid example among women. 




Sooboonagam Ammal.' 



THE LONE STAR MISSION. 
Chapter Thirteen. 

'■' He who causes a temple to be whitewashed acquirer brilliant fame." — ■ 
Inst, of Vishnu gi: ii. 

The story of the '" Lone Star " mission is one of 
the interesting things in literature. In 1835 Amos 
Sutton was in America. He was a missionary of 
the English Baptists in Orissa, and while visiting 
in the United States he recommended that the Amer- 
ican Baptists take up work among the Telugus, south 
of where he was located. There was money in the 
treasury, and Samuel Day and wife were sent out 
that autumn. In 1840 he changed from his first lo- 
cation, and went to Nellore. There after seven months 
he baptized his first convert from among the Telugus. 
They kept preaching and teaching everywhere, and 
establishing little primary schools for such as would 
come, until three years later the second Telugu was 
baptized. 

Other workers meanwhile were added from the 
home-land, and in '46 the little church had seven 
members, only two of whom were Telugus. In '53 
the ^Mission Board had under consideration the aban- 
donment of the field. At the meeeting in Albany 
that year the matter was discussed pro and con. In 
the discussion, one of the speakers said : " There are 
many to care for the brilliant constellation in Burma, 
but who will care for the Lone Star ? " Samuel F. 



THE LONE STAR MISSION. 203 

"Faith without works is dead." — James 2: 17. 

Smith was present. He is the author of " My Coun- 
try, 'Tis of Thee." That night he wrote, 

" Shine on, Lone Star, thy radiance bright 
Shall spread o'er all the Eastern sky," 

and read the poem before the meeting the next morn- 
ing. And the mission was continued. 

In '62 this work again came near being abandoned, 
for it was not prosperous in its outward appearance. 
Lvman Jewett was then on furlough home, and per- 
sistently insisted that he could not give up the work^ 
there. The soul of one poor Telugu is priceless, 
then how about the millions ? He had been for some 
years a worker on the field. Finally it was again de- 
cided to continue, and the indomitable missionary got 
his information as to this from the droll remark 
of the secretary to him : " Well, brother, if you are 
resolved to return, v;e must send somebody with you 
to bury you ; you certainly ought to have a Christian 
burial in that' heathen land." And John E. Clough 
was sent with him. 

Clough was a civil engineer. In '66 he made a 
first trip to Ongole, and that same year located there. 
Twelve years previous the missionaries had gone there 
to preach, and once, when they went outside the town 
to a hilltop to pray, each in turn asked the bless- 
ing of God to come down upon Ongole. One among 
that number was Julia, a convert of whom it is said 
that she spent two hours daily praying for the con- 
version of India. Jewett, addressing himself to her, 
said, " Julia, do you see that rising piece of ground 



204 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" That which hath been sent down unto thee from thy Lord is the truth." 
— Koran 13: i. 

yonder, all covered over with prickly pear? Would 
you not like our mission house to stand there? Well, 
— that dav will come." The year after arrival there, 

a little church of 
eight members 
w a s organized. 
The dawn of 
better things 
was at hand. 
The day came. 
At Ongole it 
was very hope- 
ful from the be- 
ginning. High- 
caste people 
asked for a 
school, and 
promised to sup- 
p o r t i t. The 
school was start- 
ed and running 
well with some 
sixty-two p^y- 
i n g students, 
w'hen a few low- 
caste peoi:)le 
asked admission to the church. The Brahmins hear- 
ing it threatened to withdraw from the school, and 
from all support of the missionary if he had anything 
to do with these people. It was a crisis. The school 




" One poor Telugu." 



THE LONE STAR MISSION. 



205 



"Watch thou in all things, endure afflictions." — 2 Tim. 4: 5. 

seemed promising, and would perhaps be a feeder to 
the church, but the church must be open to aU. It 
was made a matter of very special prayer. In the 
mission home, it was the one topic of conversation. 
The husband took a Testament and went to him- 
self for prayer. The Book opened as of its own 
accord to i Corinthians i : 26, " For ye see your 
calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after 
the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are 
called. But God hath chosen the foolish things of 
the world to confound the wise," 
etc. Meeting his wife, he found 
that her mind had been dwelling 
on that same Scripture, and the 
policy of the mission was imme- 
diately settled on the question. 
The Brahmins 
promptly withdrew, 
and instead of being 
friends proved them- 
selves to be the real 
enemies to the mission 
and the missionary. 
But the policy was of God. for more high-caste peo- 
ple have been brought into the light in spite of the 
change, than would likely have been under the former 
plan, besides the thousands of common people added. 
Now, one may sometimes see five castes together, in 
friendly relationship, all Christians. 

Now all these years are quickly counted over when 




"Julia.'" 



206 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Those who make vows to the gods go to the gods." — Bhagavad 
Gita 9: 25. 

they are past, but no one but a missionary knows 
the patient persistence, the unconquerable courage, and 
the constant rehance upon God that one needs while 
the years are passing, and no one feels more keenly 
than he the unwelcome that the better classes of the 
unconverted sometimes give. He knows however that 
Christianity is God's religion, and he realizes that his 
neighbors do not know it. 

At this stage of the work, thousands of willing 
workers could have been found to give a helping hand, 
if they had knozvn. In the month of December, 1870, 
324 were added to the flock. At one town never be- 
fore visited by a missionary, quite a distance from 
Ongole, twenty-six became Christians, and were or- 
gani'ed into a church, with deacons and a pastor. 

Tn 1875 nineteen missionaries were in the field. 
The membership at Ongole was 2,825. At Nellore 
there were 188. There were fifty-three native preach- 
ers, a healthy group of native students, and the work 
was growing in geometrical proportion. From 1850 to 
1900, the church membership ran right up by decades, 
as follows: 7, 24, 1,184, 17.017, 47,458, 62,135. 

A great famine came over the country in 1877. At 
this juncture the civil engineer missionary played a 
most important part. Clough took a contract to build 
three miles of the Buckingham canal for Government, 
and so gave employment to large numbers both of 
Christians and non-Christians. Contributions came 
in abundance from home to help the work along, 
for a starving man can not earn a full day's wages. 



THE LONE STAR MISSION. 20^ 

" God hath made of one blood all nations of men." — Acts 17: 26. 

After each day's work was done the people assem- 
bled in groups, and the Gospel was preached to them. 
Many there were who wished to become disciples 
those days, but none were baptized, for fear they 
mig-ht have a wrong motive. All the mission forces 




" Five castes together, all Christians." 

in a time like this, set to work to relieve the dis- 
tressed, and the usual work of the mission becomes 
momentarily paralyzed. For seven months the canal 
work had continued. The rains had come, and the 
people were all about to go away, when the mis- 



2o8 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" All malady that wrings thy brow we charm away with this our fpell." 
— Atharva-Veda 9 : 8 : 1 . 

sionaries announced that those who wished to be- 
come Christians might now do so. 

A time was set, and a place chosen for baptism. 
Alany came, and on examination some were baptized. 
A second day dawned as thousands were assembhng 
together anxious to become also Christians. Under 




" What these have been saved 



( I'armer). 



forty trees forty native preachers conducted careful 
examination of all that each knew best, and those 
who were found acceptable were received. And on 
the third day others still were added. 

The greatest of all days was the second, Jwly 3. 
1878, when tlie \\'hole da}- was spent by the river 
side. In the evening it was found that two thousand 
two hundred twenty-two had been baptized that day. 
Two men at a time baptized, and when they grew 



'THE LONE STAR MlSSlOlSf. 



209 



"My prayer is that they might be saved." — Rom. 10: i. 

wear}', two others took their places. So alternating, 
six native preachers baptized the whole number in 
nine hours. This forever puts an end to all intelligent 
controversy as to whether three thousand could have 
been immersed in one day. July 2, 614, the third, 
2,2.22; on the fourth, 700; making a total of 3,536 




^Sr^^ AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSION COLLEGE, 

"^ ^^^"^ ONGOUE INDIA 



in the three days ! Now, many a one of these dwells 
in his own village home, where the voice of prayer 
is often heard. 

In a continuous stream believers were added that 
summer until over nine thousand had made the good 
confession in three months ! The church at Ongole 
to-day has 19,000 members, and is the largest church 
in the world! What a wonderful story! How ev- 



210 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" The sun would not rise if the priest did not make sacrifice." — Satapatha 
Brahmana 2: 3 : i : 5. 

ery child of God feels an honest joy in contemplation 
of snch truths! What these have been saved from! 
And so many of them ! And yet there are those who 
think they " don't believe in missions ! " 

In this one work of the American Baptist Tehigu 
Mission, there are now 58,000 native Christians, 
ninety-five missionaries, 984 native helpers, twenty- 
five stations, 628 primary schools, 10,900 pupils, a 
college at Ongole, a theological seminary, and two 
orphanages. Among the eighteen millions of Telugus 
there are nine other missions at work also, and there 
is room for them all. These ten societies have a pres- 
ent church membership of 75,000 and a native Chris- 
tian community of 250,000 souls! 



ONE LITTLE WOMAN. 
Chapter Fourteen. 

" Go ye into all the world, and preach." — Mark i6: i6. 

" I KNOW of a most extraordinary marriage that 
took place in the following manner : The father was 
on a religious pilgrimage with his family, which con- 
sisted of his wife and two daughters, one nine and 
the other seven years of age. They had stopped in 
a town to rest for a day or two. One morning the 
father was bathing in the sacred river Godaveri, when 
he saw a fine-looking man coming to bathe there also. 
After the ablution and the morning prayers were over, 
the father inquired of the stranger who he was and 
whence he came. On learning his caste and clan 
and dwelling place, also that he was a widower, the 
father offered him his little daughter of nine, in 
marriage. All things were settled in an hour or so. 
Next day the marriage was concluded, and the little 
girl placed in the possession of the stranger, who 
took her nearly nine hundred miles away from her 
home. The father left the place without the daugh- 
ter the day after the marriage, and pursued his pil- 
grimage with a light heart. Fortunately the little 
girl had fallen into good hands, and was well and 
tenderly cared for beyond all expectation." This is 
Ramabai's own description of her father's wedding. 

Ananta Shastri, the priest, the father of Ramabai 
had made up his mind that learning was as good 



2\2. 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" If we have sinned 



remove from us the trespass." — Rig- 
Veda 5: 85: 7. 



for Avomen as for men, and he had faithfully tried 
to educate his iirst wife, but failed because of the 
opposition he met. And when he was married the 
second time, he determined to try it again. Meeting 
the same relentless opposition, he took his little wife 
and went to the forest to live. There he taught her 
the sacred learning of the Brahmins. 

In '58, a child 
of the forest, 
R a m a b a i was 
born. The father 
' was growing old, 
besides spending 
much time in the 
instruction of 
Brahmin youth 
who came to his 
forest home. So 
mother taught 
this youngest 
child. Her earli- 
est recollections 
are that mother 
a t dawn of day 
took her in her 
arms and while the birds sang their morning songs 
she repeated her Sanscrit verses. 

When she was nine the family again set out 
on pilgrimages, and three years later she was able 




Ramal;ai. 



ONE LITTLE WOMAN. 213 

" If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." — i John 4: 11. 

to repeat from memory eighteen thousand Sanscrit 
verses from the Hindoo sacred books. 

And although her father was very hberal, yet she 
had never been permitted to see certain texts till after 
her public reception in Calcutta. This because she 
was a woman. Another instance of the care to main- 
tain Hindoo ideas of right is the way the family 
took a voyage to Bombay from a point farther south 
along the coast. For three days no morsel of food 
nor drop of water passed the lips of any one of them, 
because they could not perform the necessary cere- 
monies to eating. 

The father's finances were reduced in one way or 
another till the great famine of ''jy left them prac- 
tically penniless. They gave to the Brahmins what 
they had, they fasted, and bowed to the idols, they 
visited sacred places and bathed in sacred rivers and 
tanks, they sold their cooking vessels, they were re- 
duced almost to the point of starvation, when the 
father decided to drown himself in a sacred tank. It 
were no sin to drown one's self in a sacred tank. 

The father gave all good-bye, and in coming lastly 
to the youngest, whom he loved best, he took her 
in his arms and bade her serve God as long as she 
lived. " I have given you into the hand of our God," 
he said with tears in his eyes, " You are His, and 
to Him alone you must belong, and serve Him all 
your life." 

The brother said that he would work (which was a 
last humiliation), but father must not seek death, 
and so they all left the forest once more. What with 



214 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Never recite the \'eda in presence of Sudras." — Laws of !Manu 4: 99. 

begging and working, it was a hard life, and within 
six weeks the one from the other, the father and 
mother both died. Ramabai and her brother contin- 
ued to journey here and there, and it was on these 
reHgious journeys that her faith in such things 
was shaken. They visited the floating mountains ^ in 
the Himalayas, only to be deceived by the priests. But 
they discovered the deception of the whole thing and 
hurried away. 

They came together to Calcutta, where, because of 
her enlightenment and experience, she was well re- 
ceived, and gave addresses on the elevation of Hindoo 
women. The pundits were so pleased that in solemn 
assembly they gave her the title, " Sarasvati." She 
is the only woman who may call herself a pundita. 
In Calcutta her brother sickened and died. She had 
not been married, by the good sense of her parents, 
and now shortly after, married a Bengali gentleman, 
who took her to his home in Assam. In less than 
two years the husband died of cholera, leaving her 
a widow with one little daughter, Manorama, who is a 
promising helper in her work in the city of Poona now. 

Ramabai went to England for education, desirous 
to be of all possible good in the cause of Indian 
wom.en. There she saw the excellence of Christianity, 
and, ever living up to her convictions, accepted Christ 
as her Savior. In England she was appointed Pro- 
fessor of Sanscrit in Cheltenham Ladies' College. La- 



^ These " floating mountains " are made of earth and trees, on rafts. 
A\'hen the priests get baksliish, the mountains are made to move toward 
the worsliiper, and he, not knowing, thinks the gods have heard him. It 
is all a hoax. 



ONE LITTLE WOMAN. 215 

" Every woman that prayeth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her 
head."^ — i Cor. 11:5. 

ter she came to America, where she spent some time 
formulating plans for the dream of her life-work in 
India. In the Eastern States there are now a number 
of Ramabai Societies composed of women, who stand 
by her with prayer and with regular contributions. 

Her original intention was to begin a work for 
women under a board of Hindoo supervisors. This 
would enable her, she thought, to reach farther and 
help more people than she could hope to reach if she 
cut herself off entirely from Hindoo connection. But 
it was not long till her advisory board became sus- 
picious of her best intentions and began to work 
against her. And then they parted company. 

From that time on she has been blessed more abun- 
dantly. The work, begun on a small basis, and under 
the fostering touch of her womanly hand, grew ever 
increasingly larger. In Poona the Sharada Sadan be- 
came too small, and Khedgaon was a chosen place. 
There rescued girls and high-caste widows were re- 
ceived as fast as they could be gotten. The famine of 
'97 added many to those already in her home. The 
famine of 1900 added many more. And at the present 
time the work and homes of Ramabai are hives of 
industry. The Sharada Sadan in Poona is the edu- 
cational center, preparing the young widows to go 
out as workers for Christ, and as noble Christian wives 
for brave Christian men. The Khedgaon country- 
home is the industrial center where one may see 
at the appointed times a group of gardeners at work, 
a company of weavers at the looms, dairying, oil- 



2l6 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"The Rig-A'eda originated in the fire." — Aitareya Brahmana 5: 32. 

pressing, farming, baking, teachers and helpers all do- 
ing every one the work assigned, and everything mov- 
ing on like clock work. 

It was a happy day in '97 when Ramabai and her 
girls stood before the first permanent building at Khed- 




" A group of gardeners at work." 

gaon, but the buildings have greatly increased since 
then, and the girls too, old and young, who now num- 
ber about two thousand souls. 

Short, heavy set, and rather dull of hearing, Ram- 
abai does not at first impress one as being an extra- 
ordinary character. But it is remarkable what one 
person can do when one determines upon a certain 
work and yields one's self unreservedly to that work. 
She is European in scholarship, but always wears the 
native dress and eats the native food in native fashion. 



ONE LITTLE WOMAN. 217 

"All scripture is given by inspiration of God." — 2 Tim. 3: 16. 

She is oriental by birth, but one never sees that ori- 
ental slowness about her. The whole place is up at 
four in the morning, and the day, always busy, is 
begun with prayers and a time of waiting before God. 
All are at perfect liberty of conscience, and formerly 





" Raniabai and her girls." 

it was not an uncommon thing for a large number, 
confessing their faith, to go for baptism in the river 
several miles away. They have a baptistry in the 
compound now. 

Great is the contrast between the girls as she gets 

'them, and as she keeps them. The same girl comes, 

a hopeless Hindoo widow, and later on goes, a happy 

Christian wife. And many are the sorrowful tales of 



2l8 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 




" Holy men who know Brahma, dying in the day-time, go unto him." — 
Bhagavad Gita 8: 25. 

those who are rescued, so pitiful that they can not all 
be told. Perhaps one of the girls' own experiences as 
told by herself would be the best 
way to close this sketch of this blessed 
work: 

" I do not remember when I was 
married, and I do not know much 
about my parents ; but I know I was 
/J%f^S^ living in my husband's home and not 

^^fjr getting enough to eat. \Mienever I 

asked for more food, he used to kick 
me and scourge me with a thick rope. 
Oh, I shudder when I remember all I 
Hopeless Hindoo widow." suffered ! One day my husband tied 
my hands and legs, and beat me 
so severely that 1 was nearly dy- 
ing; and there was no one near to 
give me a cup of cold water to 
drink. The next morning my hus- 
band told me that, if I remained 
any longer in the house, he would 
cut oft' my nose. This frightened 
me very much, so that I left and 
became a beggar. I thank the 
God tliat brought me to this happy 
home. I shall never go back to 
ni}' husband, for if I were to gc 
would kill me." 




" Happy Christian wife." 

to him asrain, he 



BOMBAY. 



Chapter Fifteen. 



" This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." — i John 5: 3. 

As we approach India, coming from the West, 
Bombay is the first city to greet us. The harbor is 
an excellent one and beautiful. The great buildings 
of commercial enterprise, and of educational insti- 
tutions, and of 
Government are 
everywhere seen. 
It is the first 
city in India, not 
only the first that 
the newcomer 
sees, but the first 
in commerce, first 
in picturesqueness 
of its different 
peoples, and dur- 
ing the last decade 
claimed to be the 
first in population. At the 1901 census, however, the 
plague was raging, and now again, Calcutta claims the 
greatest population as well as the most commerce. 
This does not take suburbs into account, of which Cal- 
cutta has many. Bombay is built on an island and 
has few suburbs. 

The plague in Bombay seemed to come and go by 
waves, and no one was able to do much for it, nor 

219 




Educational institution." 



220 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" If a man break the ox-contract, he shall pay eight hundred stripes 
penalty." — Zend Avesta 4: 45. 

understand it. Every efifort was made and every pre- 
caution was taken, that its ravages might be checked. 
Charts have been prepared, showing the daily rise 
and decline of these waves. In 1896-7, during 139 
days, the total mortality was 28.418, with the high- 
est death rate 226 per thousand. In January, 1898, 
came the second, wdiich continued 115 days, with mor- 
tality 28,869, highest death rate 165 per thousand. 
The third began in January 1899, lasting 131 days, 
mortality 31,260, highest death rate 160 per thousand. 
The fourth began in 1899, ^"*-^ to the end of April, 
1900, the mortality was 50,383, with a highest death 
rate of 209.5 P^^ thousand. 

Plague continues, and has spread to nearly all parts 
of India. Xo one knows what a day may bring forth. 
A summary of deaths is published weekly, arranged 
according to races and diseases. The following is 
taken from the Bombay records. The column giv- 
ing races is more exact than the others. The first 
and second columns are for the week ending Alay 
6, 1902, and the third column is for the week end- 
ing Sept. 23, 1902. 



BOMBAY. 



^21 



" This gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world fo 
witness." — Matt. 24: 14. 



50 Jains. 




9 Smallpox. 


S 


Small-pox. 


59 Brahmins. 




7 JNIeasles. 


12 


Measles. 


3 Lingaits. 




80 Fevers. 


79 


Fevers. 


6 Bhatias. 




2 Cholera. 





Cholera. 


47 Hindoos, 


t h e r 


450 Plague. 


55 


Plague. 


castes. 




Whooping cough. 


2 


Leprosy. 


04 Hindoos, low 


caste. 


2 Leprosy. 


49 


Phthisis. 


05 Mahomedans. 




73 Phthisis. 


3 


Whooping cough. 


zy Parsees. 




52 Nervous system. 


72 


Nervous system. 


5 Jews. 




4 Circulatory system. 


6 


Circulatory do 


2() Native Christians. 


89 Respiratory system. 


'^Z7 


Respiratory do. 


6 Europeans. 




19 Digestive system. 


14 


Digestive do. 


2 Eurasians. 




49 Diarrhcea. 


59 


Diarrhoea. 


Negro-African 




19 D3'sentery. 


3-^ 


Dysentery. 


I Buddhist. 




39 Still-born. 


44 


Still-born. 


I Other and un 


<nown 


no Old age, debilit3\ 


95 


Old age, debilit}-. 


522 Total. 




13 Accidents, violence. 


14 


Accidents, violence 



In a part of the city called the fort, are wide 
streets, four story English hotels, large department 
stores, and other 
buildings with fine 
architectural work. 
The native part of 
the city has also 
large buildings, 
but narrow, crowd- 
ed streets, which 
are sure to remind 
one that he is in 
the Orient, if per- 
chance he had for- 
gotten that while 

m the fort. « j^ ^j.^ ^^^^ ^^^ ^-^^^ streets." 




2,22 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" A fair speech, and to forgive, is better than alms followed by mis- 
chief. — Koran 2: 278. 



The municipal 
buildings, or city 
hall, stand just op- 
posite to the great 
railway terminal, 
which is spoken of 
as one of the finest 
stations in the 
world. The Craw- 
ford Market is a 
splendid building, 
in which are all the 
tropical fruits and 
vegetables, besides 
meats and canned 
goods in abun- 
dance. From the 




" City Hall." 



market to the great terminal the street-car fare is 
just one cent. The airy hospitals take excellent care 
of the sick, as I 
can amply testify 
by repeated ex- 
perience. The 
thrifty Parsees are 
Bombay people, 
and they are ev- 
erywhere. Their 
charity is marked. 
The Sir Jamshed- 

ji Jibihoy hoS- •• The great railway terminal." 




BOMBAY. 223 

" Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord." — Matt. 25: 39. 

pita], commonly called the J. J. hospital, caring for 
hundreds of patients daily, is the gift of the Parsee 
gentleman whose name it bears. 

But we care more for the spiritual welfare of the 
people than for these other marks of advancement. 
Among the temples and mosques, we wonder about 
the churches that stand for enlightenment and equal- 
ity. In 1842 there were less than one hundred Prot- 
estant Indian Christians in the whole of the Bombay 
Presidency. On the eastern side of India the work 
of evangelization was well under way before it was 
begun here. At the present time the native Chris- 
tians number about 30,000 in Bombay, of whom only 
2,000 are Protestant. The Goanese and Portuguese 
are numerous, descendants of the early Portuguese 
settlements here and there along the western coast. 
These are all Catholics, and so un-catholic are some 
of them that it is against the law for a Protestant 
to preach in the native states they yet control. They 
are by no means all alike though. 

There are about seventy-six missionaries in Bom- 
bay, counting wives of missionaries, and all those 
engaged in the various phases of work. There are 
some twelve churches, not counting the halls where 
meetings are held or Y. M. C. A's. Some of these 
are kept occupied all Sunday with different congre- 
gations. For example, the Church of England holds 
in the Girgam church, English service at 8 A. M. ; 
Marathi, 9:30; Gujerati, 2 P. M. ; English Sunday 
school, 4 : 30, and services, 6. And in the Grant 
Road M. E. church the services Sunday are, English 



^24 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



"He who sacrifices, propitiates the gods." — Satapatha Brahmana 1:9:1:3. 

Sunday school at 7 : 45 A. M. ; and sermon, 9 ; Hin- 
dustani sermon, 10:15; Gujerati Sunday school, i 
P. M., and sermon, 2 ; Marathi Sunday school, 3, 
and sermon, 4:30; English Epworth League, 5, and 
sermon, 6. Then there are the week evening meetings 
also. At about twelve different places in the city 
open-air meetings are held regularly each week, at 
some of the places almost daily. By the lamp post 
in front of the Bible Society building is a familiar 
preaching place. Brother Miller preached from here 
when, he visited India, as also I have done on sev- 
eral occasions. It is open for all alike, and if a jNIa- 
homedan, or any one else had a doctrine he felt 
like airing, there is no one to hinder his doing so. 
Sometimes others besides Christians use the privi- 
lege. 

The churches are scattered all over the city. The 

Bowen Memorial 
church used to 
stand out as quite 
a prominent build- 
ing, but now there 
are so many high 
buildings all round 
about it that it 
seems almost to 
have gotten lost. 
There are mission 
schools and mis- 
sion presses, and 
■• ]!owcn memorial church." uativc Christians 




BOMBAY. 



225 




" The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." — i Jno. i : 7. 

are more and more respected. It is a joy 
to converse with some of these intelHgent 
young men and women, who now also 
are manifesting a real live interest in the 
great work of spreading the Gospel 
and its blessed teachings throughout 
India. 

I well remember the impression it 
made upon me when first we were - some of these." 
getting experience 
in India, and I was trying to find 
one Dhunjibhoi. I knew the street 
where he lived, but not the number 
of the house, so I asked and asked, 
only to get the answer, " What 
Dhunjibhoi do you mean ? 
There are many Dhunjibhoi's." 
Presently I said, " Why, he's a 
Christian. Christian Dhunji- 

" Some of these." bhoi IS 

the one." And the answer 
was emphatic, " Yes, Dhunji- 
bhoi the Christian, he lives 
ji'onder.'' 

And wherever I asked as 
I sought him out, every one 
knew where Dhunjibhoi the 
Christian lived. I felt it very 
keenly that a good Christian 
is known far and wide, espe- 
cially in a heathen country. " Dhunjibhoi the Christian." 





THE METHODISTS IN NORTH INDIA. 



Chapter Sixteen. 



"Verily we sent down the Koran in the night." — Koran 97: 1. 

When" forty-six years ago AA^illiam Butler went to 
India to begin work imder the supervision of the M. 
E. church of the United States, the location then de- 
cided upon was Oudh and Rohilkund in the north. 
The Presbyterian Mission loaned 
them a man who had beeen trained 
to the work, a native Christian by 
name Joel T. Janvier. It was 
about three hundred 
miles further they 
were going, and Joel 
willingly consented to 
go, but the mother of 
Joel's wife was a wid- 
ow, and she might ob- 
ject. So Joel and 
Butler went together 
to ask the old woman 
about it. She replied 
with tears trick- 
ling down her 
cheeks, "The 
Savior came 
d o w n fro m 
heaven to give 
Himself for me, 
226 




Joel 



THE METHODISTS IN NORTH INDIA. 22/ 

" I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the 
Lord." — Psalms 122: i. 

and why should I not give my daughter to His work ? " 
Those three hundred miles meant more to that simple 
woman than 10,000 miles to an enlightened American ! 

The first foreign mission of the Methodists was in 
Liberia, the second was in China, and this begin- 
ning in India was the third. 

The plan for this one had been to settle about twen- 
ty or twenty-five missionaries in one district, with one 
language, and under one superintendent to advance in 
the work as the way was opened to them. A native 
preacher with them from the first, it was not long till 
the work of the mission began to assert itself and con- 
verts came. It became apparent that India was to 
be won by Indian workers, a point which is more 
prominently recognized by the Methodists than by 
some other of the missions in India. 

They had a plan in those early days, and outgrew 
it. They had a field also, and outgrew that. And 
at the present time in all India they have 77,900 
church members, 635 native pastors, 32,000 day-school 
scholars, and 83,000 in the Sunday schools, and are 
working in forty different languages and dialects ! 
Of all the M. E. church converts, outside of the United 
States, forty-six per cent are in India ! Of all the for- 
eign mission Sunday schools fifty-eight per cent are in 
India ! Of all the converts added to their foreign mis- 
sion churches last year sixty-six per cent are in India ! 
Of all the day schools, from the lowest to the high- 
est, under the M. E. foreign board, eighty-two per 
cent are in India ! 



228 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" The man who offers food follows the steps of Prajapati." — Atharva- 
Veda 9 : 6 : 29. 

The bulk of this work has been among the very 
lowest of the oppressed classes, and for this reason 
the schools factor so largely. Government affords 
its tens of thousands of schools, but these lowest 
are not allowed to go, on account of the caste of 
those who do go. So a very primary school, run by 
the mission, is regarded by those people as a very 
benevolent thing. And through these little schools 
the mind is not only enlightened, but the heart is 
often reached, which is just the thing that all mission- 
aries are striving to do ; for if the heart can be reached 
with the Word of God, the life will be changed. And 
it is changed lives, renewed lives, that are needed 
in India as in all the world. 

The work grows in this fashion. Hasan Raza 
Khan was a Mahomedan in the North of India. He 
became under conviction as to the Truth of God, and 
became a Christian. An American Christian offered 
to support four small village schools, and they were 
located some distance apart. Such schools cost on an 
average about $3 a month each. He visited the 
schools frequently and talked with the children, and 
went to their homes, and talked with the parents. 
Whenever a young man who had learned to read be- 
came converted, he placed him in a neighboring vil- 
lage over another little school. Schools and converts 
kept multiplying, until in 1890, at the end of five 
years, he had developed a district and was appoint- 



THE METHODISTS IN NORTH INDIA, 229 

" Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that 
hate you." — Matt. 5: 44. 

ed presiding elder over it. After seven more years 
he reported Christians Uving in 750 villages ! 

At the District Conference that same year Hasan 
Raza Khan reported that he could baptize 50,000 
converts in the next eighteen months, if he had the 
necessary assistants to take care of them. The re- 
port was published, and there v^^as almost no end 
of criticism as to the methods of the Methodists. 
Then Hasan went to work, and two months later 
went down to the District Conference held at Alla- 
habad, where he made the following report: "At 
our recent conference I said I could baptize 50,000 
converts in eighteen months if I had the sub-pastors 
to look after and instruct them. I have been around 
my district since, have asked the pastors, sub-pas- 
tors, pastor-teachers, and leaders to make out lists 
of those who they knew had abandoned idolatry 
and were desiring to be baptized. I have studied 
the lists carefully and I must say I was mistaken. 
There are 55,000 asking for baptism within the 
bounds of my district!" 

At the previous conference in his own district 
Mrs. Hasan held a meeting for the Christian women 
in a neighboring tent. There were sixty-one wom- 
en present, and it is said she presided with ease and 
grace over this missionary meeting. Imagine a Ma- 
homedan woman presiding over a missionary meet- 
ing! But she was a Christian woman now, one who 
had been a Mahomedan. 



230 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" God loveth those who fight for his religion in battle array." — 
Koran 61:4. 

Hasan has come to be respected by all who know 
him. A short time ago he was appointed as a mem- 
ber of the Board of Commissioners for the govern- 
ment district in which he lives. Oil being informed 
of the appointment, at more than three times the 
pay he was getting from his mission 
work, he promptly replied, " I am 
secretary to the Lord Jesus, and I 
cannot accept any other ofifice." He 
receives the support his native 
Christians give him, and costs the 
Mission Board nothing. 

Jordan is another good example 
of the North India work. He was 
the very lowest by birth, but he got 
into the mission schools and showed 
himself capable. He stuck to it till 
he had gone through the college, 
and then he became the assistant principal of the 
Moradabad high school. He was a conscientious 
Christian, and it was noticed that every student he 
sent up to the government schools year after year 
passed the examinations. Certain Brahmin and 
Mahomedan teachers became jealous, seeing this, 
and they had a lot of large posters put up in public 
places to the effect that Jordan was the son of a 
scaA'cnger, and that high-caste gentlemen sending 
llicir children to school to him did so at a great risk 
with respect to their caste, being in danger of making 




Native Christians." 



THE METHODISTS IN NORTH INDIA. 



231 



'•'Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."— Matt. 5: 5. 

the gods angry with them, etc. Every one saw these 
offensive posters, and Jordan asked advice of the 
missionaries, who told him he was set for the de- 
fense of the Gospel, and not specially for the de- 
fense of Jordan. 

Now Jordan was blessed with more good sense 
than some other people are, so he took the advice 
and went on about his business as if nothing had 
happened. And the boys in school, seeing the air 
of the teacher, continued to come. Soon the city 
fathers began to inquire what all this was for, and 
who did it. When they learned that the Brahmin 
and other teachers did it, fearing the success of Jor- 
dan would injure them, they said, "Ah, is that so? 
Every boy passed ? " " Yes." " Well, that is where 
we will send our boys; for what we want is to be 
sure that they will pass the government examina- 
tions." And from that time forth, the school be- 
came self-supporting, and did not need another mis- 
sionary rupee. 

The Reid 
Christian C o 1- 
lege atLucknow 
and the Medical 
College at Agra 
are splendid 
Methodist insti- 
tutions. And it f ■- f i^^^.t ;1 i'?V'^ *•'» ' '"-tV: 
so h a p p e n e d - -. ' ■ f 

that a scaven- 



" Reid Christian College.' 



232 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" These who die at night, or in the dark of the moon, again return to 
mortal birth."— Bhagavad Gita 8: 25. 

ger girl came also to one of the village schools, and 
passed one grade after another till she completed the 
Agra Medical College Course for women, and re- 
turned to Moradabad an earnest Christian young 
woman. Friends had often asked her, " Why don't 
you marry ? " To which her curt reply was that she 
was studying and had not the time. And they got 
about the same answer from Jordan oti the same sub- 
ject. Then, according to one of those well-directed 
providences which happen more frequently than 
some good people are willing to admit, there were 
several serious cases in the hospital. And a nurse 
of good qualification was needed as an extra. And 
this young medical graduate was called in and em- 
ployed for a week. And by the time her week was 
up they employed her for a month, and after that 
she could not be spared at all, and now is the head 
nurse of the hospital, getting one hundred and twen- 
ty-five rupees a month. Then it all came out. She 
and Jordan had been long engaged, and now they 
were married. At the present time she still holds 
her position, and treats medical!}^ the missionaries 
and the Brahmin women and hosts of others, and is 
respected by all. 

With such truths as these before us it seems to 
me that even the most pessimistic must have all the 
wind taken out of his sails. In '8y there were 7,000 
communicants. In '98 there were 77,000. In eleven 
years a tenfold increase. Some may ask if these are 
&1I genuine. The workers say that after two years 



THE METHODISTS IN NORTH INDIA. 



233 




N'illage church. 



" Ye must be born again." — John 3 : 7. 

about ninety-five per cent are to be found faithful. 
And they do not all have family prayers, as does of 
course the one who wonders about i 

the genuineness of these poor fel- 
lows. But they do 
have village prayers 
generally in the vil- 
lage church, in the 
early stage of their 
new life ! 

The North India 
conference alone has 
its 35,000 adherents, 

with an average attendance on Sunday worship of 
some 12,000. And the one thousand Sunday schools 
of the district have their 45,000 scholars. And there 
are 128 native ordained preachers besides the 422 
unordained. And the collection from these for the 
work amount to about $6,000 a year. This is no 
mean beginning toward self-support, a matter in 
which all the missions are alike interested. Often 
when these lowest of the low become Christians and 
learn to read and wear more clothes than they did 
before, those above them rail upon them with, " How 
dare you learn to read when we can't! How dare 
3^ou wear clothes like ours ! " 

The reader may not be a Methodist, as the writer 
is not, yet from the above it is easy to see what can 
be done. And to say the least, all must agree that 
they who turn thousands from idolatry, and incline 
them toward a purer and a better life, are certainly 



234 



INDIA: A PROBLEM. 



" If a man break ihe word-contract, he shall pay three hundred stripes 
penalty." — Zend Avesta 4: 36. 

doing a good thing. And they who give crumbs 
of bread to the millions, are they not perhaps doing 
better than those who have whole loaves which they 
keep forever to themselves? 




" Doing better," 



THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MISSIONS. 
Chapter Seventeen. 

"Blessed are ihe dead which die in the Lord." — Rev. 14: 13. 

The Church Missionary Society, commonly 
known by the initials C. M. S., is over a hundred 
years old, and is the largest missionary society in 
the world. In an old prospectus this principle is 
laid down, " Spiritual men for spiritual work." 
Among other precepts added later are, " Begin on a 
small scale," and, " Put money in the second place." 
The society was organized April 12, 1799, twenty- 
five persons being present. A first resolution was 
then passed, " That it is a duty highly incumbent 
upon every Christian to endeavor to propagate the 
knowledge of the Gospel among the heathen." 

The society is at work in more than sixty lan- 
guages, in China, India, Africa, Palestine, Arabia, 
Persia, Mauritius, Northwest Canada, the Klondike, 
British Columbia, Herschel Island, and in other places. 
The aggregate circulation of the several missionary 
papers published is 200,000 per month. The total 
number of converts now on the lists is 281,500. One 
third of the C. M. S. income is spent in India. 

A plan was adopted in 1853, by which the com- 
mittee determined " to accept any number of true 
missionaries, who may appear to be called of God 
to the work, .... trusting to the Lord ... to 
supply the treasury with the funds for this blessed 

235 



236 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Brahmins must not ^at with their heads covered." — Inst, of 
Vishnu 71 : 12. 

and glorious undertaking." In 1865, it seemed this 
was perhaps the wrong method, and in 1870 the 
plan was abandoned. After this the work grew 
less and less, till in 1887 a similar policy was again 
instituted, with the result that from that time to 
this, the 309 ordained missionaries have become 
906, the 200,000 pounds income has become 350,000, 
and the yearly adult baptisms have grown from 2,000 
to 8,000! They call this "The Policy of Faith." 

In this brief sketch I can not hope to describe 
a work that in the annual report requires nearly 
200 pages. Showing the evolution of missionary 
preaching, as observed by a native Christian, and 
told by him to one of the missionaries, we find 
the following statement : At first, he said, mis- 
sionaries attacked the religion of i\Iahomedans and 
Hindoos, which sometimes brought on angry and 
excited discussions ; then, later, they compared 
Christianity with these other religions, often mak- 
ing them seem quite ridiculous, but not gaining 
friends by it ; but now the plan is evidently to preach 
only " Christ as Savior of sinners, in the spirit of 
love, and to avoid all controversy as far as possible." 

In one of the schools a moral test was given one 
day in a new form. The question was asked : " If 
you, together with two friends, were going to the 
city, and on the way you found a rupee, what would 
you do with it ? " The boys were all isolated to 
write out their answers. Out of fifty-seven, there 
were nine who wrote they would keep the money, 



THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MISSIONS. 237 

"" One faith, one Lord, one baptism, one God and Father of all." — 
Eph. 4: 5. 

fourteen said they would divide it with the two 
other boys, ten said they would give it to teacher 
or parents, nineteen said they would give it to the 
poor, and five thought they would try to find the 
owner. One wonders what results the same question 
would bring if asked some of our children at hom.e. 

Among all classes the work is fostered in all 
its phases. On not a few occasions fakirs hearing 
the preaching, stop to listen, and become interested. 
One asked for the story of the true Savior, and on 
receiving it was glad. Not being able to read, a 
Brahmin volunteered to help the poor fellow, and 
stood there for two hours reading one of the Gos- 
pels to an attentive little crowd of listeners. An- 
other, on hearing that Jesus was the only true Savior, 
said that was what he was looking for. He had been 
an ascetic for years, and was on his way to a noted 
shrine, but agreed to change his manner of life, and 
work for a living. He became an earnest Christian. 

The C. M. S. has had considerable success among 
the Mahomedans. Imad-ud-din became a convert 
in the church at Amritsar, and to that same congre- 
gation he was minister and pastor for the last thirty 
years of his life. Much of the stability of the flour- 
ishing work there is due to his patient labors. 
Moulvie Aziz-ud-din, one of the fierce tribe of Pathans 
in the north, has not only been a Christian for these 
years, but has recently been set apart for the ministry 
of the Gospel. Away up in Peshawar, the congre- 
gation of over three hundred, including children and 



238 



INDIA ; A PKCJiiLEM. 




"I cook, I give, I offer up oblation.'" — Atharva-Veda 6: 123: 4. 

all, is in the pastoral charge of 
Imam Shah, " whose blameless life 
and unwavering devotion have se- 
cured to him the affection and es- 
teem of both natives and Europe- 
ans." A recent Mahomedan con- 
vert, whose name was Oamar-Ussa- 
1am (the Moon of Islam) preferred 
to change his name to Oamar-ul- 
Masih (the jMoon of Christ). 

Work among lepers has its atten- 
tion, and from among the very low- 
est of Hindoos come many converts. 
A village constable became a Chris- " i™""-^-^'"-" 

tian, and was the only one in Singpur for five years. 
But he told the people of the Truth as he had learned 
it, and when, five years after, the 
missionaries first visited that place, 
they " baptized fifteen persons in a 
stream near Singpur, most of 
them relatives of Pachlu, the sol- 
itary Christian." 

In a number of in- 
stances. Christian vil- 
lages have been estab- 
lished. P r o m i n e n t 
among these is Clarka- 
bad, in the Punjab, not 
far from Lahore. !Many 
" Imam Shah." village people, in the em- 




THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MISSIONS. 239 

" The gift of God is eternal life." — Rom. 6: 23. 

ploy of Stiff Mahomedans and bigoted Hindoos, when 
they become converts to Christianity, find themselves 
absolutely without a means of livelihood. When the 
canal was dug from ]\Iardaipur to Patoki, the govern- 
ment granted 2,000 acres to the C. M. S. on which to 
settle such village people. This is how Clarkabad came 
into existence. It is now a healthful little village, with 
clean, straight, wide, and airy streets, something 
which is unusual in an Indian village. The Chris- 
tians are independent, having their own church and 
pastor, school and teachers, dispensary and doctor, all 
self-sustaiming. A storekeeper, weaver, carpenter and 
blacksmith are there. The people are agriculturists, 
and the village is on a sound financial basis. 

A missionary in South India, where formerly one 
could not avoid seeing the undisguised contempt ol 
Brahmins for poor Christians, calls attention to 
what may be seen there now, in the changing condi- 
tion of things. He says : " The other day I saw 
a Paria Christian student walking down the chief 
Brahmin street with a Brahmin student on either side, 
one with his arm locked in the Christian's, the other 
holding an umbrella over the party, both deeply intent 
on a notebook the Christian held in his hands, contain- 
ing notes on a lesson that had been given that day." 

But while these changes are coming, and have 
already come in some localities, the days of perse- 
cution are not yet in the past. Nor will they be 
until Christ enters into the hearts of certain class- 
es. Last year forty-six converts were baptized 
near Meerut. The missionary had barely gone 



240 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"The dove and owl, effectless be their visit." — AtharavaA^eda 6: 29: 2. 

when the landlords seized the fields of the Chris- 
tians, stopped their work, cut their wages, and 
brought false accusations against them. Then sev- 
eral houses were caused to be fired, and the Chris- 
tians were arrested on the charge of incendiarism. 
Their release was ordered. Later the same thing 
was brought up again, when a Hindoo lawyer said 
in court, " I want to demonstrate to the court that 
Christians tell lies as well as Hindoos," and then 
proceeded with a severe cross-examination of an aged 
illiterate Christian. Later again, the same man 
who had caused the trouble before " broke into the 
church during the Sunday morning service, seized 
the book out of the reader's hand, tore it in half and 
threw it from him, kicked over the reading desk, 
and then, seizing the reader, with the help of two 
native police, tore his clothes and knocked him 
down. The congregation speedily dispersed. . . . 
He declared that he had entered the building to se- 
cure two dacoits, whom the Christians had con- 
cealed ! He denied that there was any service go- 
ing on, and even brought witnesses to prove that 
it was not a church. . . No one could have sat from 
day to day in the courts and listened to the perjury 
of witnesses and native officials without coming to 
the conclusion that the most urgent need for India 
to-day is moral training to go hand-in-hand with 
Western education. There is only one cure for the 
corruption and bribery which is manifest in almost 
every department of life, and that is the life and 
power and teaching of Jesus Christ." And more 



THE CHURCH OF ENGLAlSTD MISSIONS. 



24! 



" Every creature of God is good." — i Tim. i : 4. 

or less of this kind of thing will continue till Hin- 
dooism is dead and burned ! 

On the other hand high-caste men, thoughtful 
and intelligent, see the Truth and sometimes openly 
confess it. A certain Hindoo judge being long ill, 
sent and asked a Christian school-teacher to pray 
for him. The teacher did so, m the presence of 
many Hindoos. The judge got well and openly at- 
tributed his recovery to the prayer of the teacher. 
Last year the death was lamented of Rao Sahib 
Samuel Paul, a prominent native Christian and 
worker in the mission, whose place has not yet been 
filled. He published altogether over two hundred 
books and tracts, and was a giant in his day. 

Away to the north of India is a church, built in 
native fashion for native people, designed by Walter 
Bateman, who is 
alive to the good of 
the cause he repre- 
sents. Away to the 
south of India is an- 
other church with a 
big stone idol used as^, 
a door-step. In this 
case an idol has got into Christian service indeed ! 
One of the Santhal converts built the church at Bar- 
hett all himself. A Santhal village is a very lowly 
place, for these are hill tribes. Along the sacred 
river Ganges one of the missionaries saw an idol, 
and before the idol lay a book which it was sup- 
posed to be reading. Some one had in all serious- 




' One of the converts built the church all himself.' 



242 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 




" A church built in native fashion." 



If we have sinned may both Apsarases forgive that debt." — Atharva- 
Veda 6: ii8: i. 

ness placed the 
book there, that 
the god might be- 
come wise for in- 
struction and guid- 
ance of his poor 
followers. And the 
book was the Gos- 
pel of John in the 
Hindi language ! 

The C. M. S. be- 
gan work in the na- 
tive State of Travancore in 1816, and have been 
able to gather a strong force in that locality. Their 
presence served 
in part to stim- 
ulate the Syrian 
c h u r c h, but 
many of the 
leading workers 
now in the C. 
M. S. mission 
are those who 
came over from 
the Syrian 
Christians. The 
Syrians were, 

and yet are, doubtless dead enough, with much more 
of the form than the spirit. An unpleasant thing 
is hinted at in the report of the present year by one 



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■■■■ 




■»«»-. 
9 




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'w'^ ■ '^^H 




'^d 


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s 




1 




9' 




, _'A 




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jippTi^ 





A Samli.a m'.Li 



THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND MISSIONS. 



243 



"The soul that sinneth it shall die." — Ezek. 18: 4. 

of the missionaries there, when he refers to " trou- 
bles from ' Open Brethren,' ^ Salvationists, Extreme 
Reformers, and Faith Healers, who seem to direct 
their efforts exclusively at Christians." 

When we come to sum up the work of any large 
mission, we are impressed with the many-sidedness 
and gradual continued growth of mission work. 
At the beginning of the reign of Queen \"ictoria, 
the C. M. S. had in India, 22 stations, 57 mis- 
sionaries, including the wives of workers, 5 
native clergy, 291 communicants, and 9,800 
adherents. Now, after 64 years there are 
211 stations, 419 missionaries, 164 native 
clerg}^, 37,000 communicants, and 
145,750 adherents ! In 1891 there 
were 6,000 adult baptisms, and 
41,000 scholars in the schools. In 
1 90 1 there were 8,000 adult bap- 
tisms, and 55,000 scholars in the 
schools ! There are 
246 unmarried lady 
missionaries, who are 
not counted in the 
above, and of these 
fourteen are paying 
their own way ! Al- 
together they have 
twenty-four mission- 
aries in India who _ _ _ 
support themselves, * ' . . . 

^ ^ After 64 years." 




^ The Plymouth Brethren. 



244 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Go hence, O Death, pursue thy special pathway." — Rig- Veda lo: i8: i. 

and 112 who are called " own missionaries," supported 
by congregations or individuals ! 

One of the missionaries in the Northwest Provinces, 
in his annual letter to the Board, as quoted in the re- 
port, sums up mission work in a comprehensive way. 
He says : " We have visited and preached in bazaars, 
melas, sacred ghats, temple precincts, fields, houses, 
shops, dispensaries, wedding assemblies, cow sheds, 
sarais, schools, — in fact, anywhere where a living soul 
was willing to listen. There is no romance and fine- 
spun poetry about it. Those who intend to take 
up this work must be prepared to face day by day 
hard, grinding, humdrum, stone-breaking labor. . . 
There is much to rejoice one's heart. The way our 
native helpers adapt themselves is remarkable. 
Sometimes our listeners are Mahomedans. They at 
once address them in beautiful Urdu. Then we are 
confronted by Hindoos, and they immediately use 
the best Hindi. Then the audience changes, and 
they make known Christ to the ignorant low-caste 
in the simple village idioms." 



THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND MISSIONS. 
Chapter Eighteen. 

"The wages of sin is death." — Rom. 6: 23. 

Toward the close of the first half of the last cen- 
tury there came to the Church of Scotland what is 
known as the Disruption, which resulted in two or- 
ganizations. Instead of one church, there are now 
the Church of Scotland, and the Free Church of 
Scotland. The difference between the two, to us 
who are far away, seems nothing. And it is worthy 
of mention, that at the time of the disruption, many 
of the native Christians in India, taking no sides in 
the local questions, attached themselves to other 
missions, and developed into the ablest of men. 

The Scottish Church is of course Presbyterian. 
The American Presbyterian mission in India is next 
in size to that of the Free Church. We shall con- 
fine this sketch to the Free Church work, which 
is the largest of the Presbyterian missions ni India. 

The policy of the Free Church is unquestionably 
strong as to the importance of educational work 
as a mission factor. The church has eight mission- 
ary colleges, four in Africa, and four in India, with 
326 other schools leading up to these. In the col- 
leges are more than i,ooo university under-gradu- 
ates, while altogether some 27,000 young men and 
women are in attendance at these Christian insti- 
tutions. 

The four colleges, which have become the center 
24s 



246 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 








" The Wilson College." 




" No house could subsist on the earth but for those two dogs of mine." — 
Zend Avesta 13: 163. 

of intellectual life and mission work of the Church in 
India are located in Bombay, Nagpur, Calcutta, and 
Madras. The Wilson College and the Wilson 

School are located 
near to each other 
in Bombay. This 
college, bearing the 
name of its found- 
er, John Wilson, 
has been in suc- 
cessful operation 
for over half a cen- 
tury. Last year, in 
each of the three chief university examinations, the 
Wilson College passed more students than any oth- 
er Bombay college. The number taking the B. A. 
degree was sixty. It must be remembered that the 
Government University is chiefly an examining 
body, and the student may prepare for that exami- 
nation wherever he pleases. The thing is to pass ! 
Of all the colleges, those whose students pass most 
freely need no further praise. 

During the year are given courses of lectures, 
both religious and secular, and the Sunday church 
services are open to all. According to the latest re- 
port, " there is in the air at present a considerable 
amount of religious controversy, and though some 
are perplexed and others indifferent, many are seek- 
ers after truth who often delight their teachers by 
their excellence of character and disposition." 



THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND MISSIONS. 247 

" God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." 
— Psalms 46: I. 

Other work is carried on with increasing interest 
at Alibag, south of Bombay, where there is a mis- 
sion high school; at Thana, where the mission dis- 
pensary is crowded with 100 to 180 patients every 
morning ; in Poona, the bigoted city, where a union 
prayer meeting has been held in the church in the 
mission compound for now over sixty years ; in Hai- 
derabad, a Mahomedan State, in Jalna, and in Beth- 
el near by, which is a Christian settlement founded 
by Narayan Shesadri, a Brahmin convert of former 
years. The work begun in Gujerat by John Wilson 
and those with him was handed over to the Irish 
Presbyterian Mission, which is pushing the work 
there now. 

Soon after the disruption of 1843, Stephen His- 
lop founded the Free Church Mission in Nagpur, 
and the college which bears his nume, into which 
his schools have developed. In Nagpur itself the 
native agency employed is thirteen teachers, nine 
Bible-women, six cathechists, one colporteur, one 
medical assistant, and one dispenser. 

In Calcutta are two Scottish institutions of high- 
er education. The General Assembly's Institution 
is Church of Scotland, while the Duff College- is of 
the Free Church. About 500 are enrolled in the 
latter from year to year, and last year, of the twen- 
ty-two who obtained the M. A. degree in Philoso- 
phy in Calcutta, fourteen went up from the Duff 
College. Of the seven who gained their degree in 
history, four went up from the Duff College, includ- 



248 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" May there be a place for me in Yama's world." — Satapatha 
Brahmana 4: 3: 4: 2t. 

ing the foremost man in the subject, who won the 
University Gold Medal. The fee income amounts 
to more than $6,000, and the Government grant is 
$2,000 yearly. 

Besides the evangelistic work carried on in the 
city of Calcutta, and the work among the aborigi- 
nal Santhals north of the city, where three ordained 
missionaries are located, — one industrial and two 
medical, — is the mission among the densely-populat- 
ed district along the Hoogli River. It is on the 
waters of the Hoogli that ocean-going vessels come 
to Calcutta. Here along the Hoogli, between the 
C. M. S. at Burdwan on the north, and the English 
Baptists at Serampore on the south ; and at Chin- 
sura, side by side with a neutral Government col- 
lege, an endowed Mahomedan institution, and the 
earliest Roman Catholic settlement in Bengal; here 
did Duff and others begin a work which has become 
remarkable for the strength of its converts. It is 
the most densely populated district in the world, 
and at the same time the most feverish. The de- 
pressed classes are the most superstitious, and the 
Brahmins are the most highly educated and inexcus- 
ably conceited. To this district also come crowds 
of pilgrims for the worship of Jaganath, and the 
shrine of Tarakeshwar. 

In the old Dutch town of Chinsurah the mission 
has its center for rural work. The medical center 
is at Kalna, the shrine of the Hindoo former Chait- 
anya. About 500 villages are visited annually, and 



THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND MISSIONS. 249 

" Our fellowship is with the Father — i John i : 3. 

daily preaching is carried on in the bazaars and dis- 
pensaries. There are three Bengali congregations, 
with sixty-seven communicants in good standing, 
and 249 children at Sunday school. 

To those workers who' have been there long 
enough to know how Hindooism was in the earlier 
days, there is every evidence of a general change. 
Enter into conversation with any one who makes 
his living by the worship of the idols, or giving out 
secret formulas called mantras for repetition, which 
is like powowing, and he will soon tell you there is 
no money now made in this v/hich was formerly a 
very lucrative business. On great festival days, 
there are crowds of people who stand about to wit- 
ness the performance with the idols, but there does 
not begin to be anything like the number of idols 
there were in former days. Belief in these things 
is waning. 

One of the young men who just recently heard 
the Gospel begged to be baptized. He was then 
in the mission school, and under age. The mission- 
aries saw that it was advisable to have him wait till 
he was of age, on account of the attitude of his 
caste-parents. If he were baptized, they would at 
once remove him from the school and influence of 
the missionaries, and perhaps begin legal proceed- 
ings against them, but while he remained unbap- 
tized he could continue in the school, attend church 
and Sunday school, study the daily Bible lessons, 
and pray with the Christians. In Kalna the mis- 
sionaries are building a new mission house on some 



250 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" For him the floods stand still, the seven mothers." — Rig- Veda 8: 85: 2. 

old temple property, having obtaired the lease for 
the same on condition that they would kill no cows 
nor eat beef on the premises ! 

The Free Church people claim that no mission in 
India, or in the non-Christian world is so fully 
equipped and complete in its organization as is their 
work in the Madras Presidency. There is the Chris- 
tian College, the largest in the East, with its self- 
supporting high school, and Nellore high school. 




" The largest in the East." 

There are three teaching, preaching, and itinerating 
agencies, in the city and suburbs of Madras, in the 
district of Chingleput, and in Conjiveram. There 
are village settlements among the depressed classes. 
There are numerous schools, in which the Bible les- 
sons come regularly. Above all there are ten Tamil 
congregations, under their own pastors, mostly self- 
supporting. 

The College last year had some 750 students, be- 
sides over 1,000 in the preparatory school. In the 



THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND MISSIONS. 25 1 

"Only be strong and of a good courage." — Joshua i: 18. 

English language division 131 took the B. A. degree, 
while in the second language division there were 
105. The second languages are Tamil, Telugu, 
Canarese, Malayalam, Sanscrit, Latin, Uriya, or 
Persian. The College publishes a magazine, and 
the library has nearly 4,000 volumes. 

Concerning educational work of missionaries 
there are not a few who think that it is waste of 
time to be doing the work that the Government 
stands committed to do. The results in conversions 
to Christ are comparatively few, and the expenses 
often run high. But those engaged in this branch 
of work point out the attitude of the educated class- 
es, how it is changing in its regard to Christ and 
the Gospel, and claim that through the beneficent 
influence of these Christian colleges this result is 
largely due. Those who become the leaders of 
thought in the land, though not Christian, learn to 
regard Christianity as the best of all religions, and 
thus open wide the door for the next generation. 

A step which will in all probability be far-reach- 
ing in its results, is the recent formation of the 
" South Indian United Church," by the members 
of the three separate missions, the Church of Scot- 
land, the Free Church of Scotland, and the Arcot 
Mission. It is a union with a simple confession 
of faith, constitution and canons similar in many 
respects to that of the United Presbyterian Church 
in Japan. It were a strange thing if the churches in 
heathen lands, consisting of converts from heathen 
religions, should lead the churches who sent the 



252 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" He must often repeat his prayers at each twilight." — Inst, of 
Vishnu 71 : ■}■;. 

Gospel to them, in example of Christian fellowship ! 
It has always seemed to me that two bodies, having 
a hundred points in common and perhaps two dif- 
ferences, should not separate because of the two 




The Scotch Church, ^Madras. 



points, but remain united, or indeed become united. 
because of the hundred points of agreement ! 

In these four Missions of the Free Church, there 
are all told nineteen native congregations with ten 
ordained and five licensed native pastors, eighty-two 
elders and deacons, and less than 2,000 communi- 
cants. There are now about 3,500 adherents be- 
sides members. There are twenty-one medical mis- 
sionaries, chiefly native, 203 native teachers, 140 cat- 



THE CHURCH OF SCOTLAND MISSIONS. 253 

"Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord." — Jer. 17: 17. 

echists, besides women workers, making the whole 
Christian agency 721, not including the 292 native 
teachers of secular subjects. 

Now fully sixty years have passed since those 
active and able men, John Wilson in Bombay, Alex- 
ander Duff in Calcutta, and John Anderson in 
Madras, were la3nng the foundations of a work 
greater than they could have known. Their con- 
verts have not been numbered by the tens of thou- 
sands, but among those won have been a high rate 
of leaders of men, and good brave fellows who 
stood way above the average even before their con- 
version. The first Parsee converts to Christianity 
were led out by Wilson in Bombay. 

As an example of the silent effectiveness of cer- 
tain phases of Christian work, a recent Brahmin 
convert from Mysore, Krishnasawmy Aiyaugar by 
name, before his baptism, made the following open 
statement : " You ask why I will become a Chris- 
tian now? I am a Christian, and have long been 
so. I feel it to be my duty now to make an open 
profession of my faith, and tO' identify myself with 
those who believe in Jesus." 



THE BASLE MISSION, GERMAN 
LUTHERAN. 

Chapter Nineteen. 

" Dice give frail gifts and then destroy the man who wins." — Rig- 
Veda 10 : 34: 7. 

The Basle Mission has been for many years at 
work in China, India, and Africa. The India work 
was begun in 1834 at Mangalore, which has become 
the chief mission station. As we look upon mis- 
sions, one that was begun before the middle of last 
century ought to be called established, and their ex- 
perience should be worth something to others. 

The missionaries with their native helpers have 
continued in the work of preaching among the vil- 
lages, in the bazaars, and at Hindoo religious fes- 
tivals from the very first. One of the men reports 
having visited thirty different festivals in a year, 
besides his other work, and he adds that " the peo- 
ple have become so used to having us with our 
preaching and our books at these festivals that they 
are almost disappointed, and there is a manifest lack 
of enthusiasm, if we fail to come." 

In the South of India, where the Basle Mission 
is located, the people are persistent believers in evil 
spirits, in demons. Sometimes the people say to 
the missionaries, " If only all of us would join you, 
we are ready to abandon the serivce of idols and 
demons, which is of no use to us. But how can 
we come when the others do not? " 

254 



THE BASLE MISSION, GERMAN LUTHERAN. 255 
"Whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely." — Rev. 22: 17. 

Ill the middle classes there seems a certain desire 
for spiritual freedom, and only real hatred and oppo- 
sition is manifest against the workers and the work 
where the subsistence of the opponent depends upon 
the idolatry and superstitions of the neighborhood. 
Those who formerly refused any hearing to the 
workers now tell them kindly, " We should like to 
receive you into our houses. Wherever you stay, 
the demons will flee away from there, but after you 
have gone, they will return, and torment us worse 
than ever." 

In the village of Amyambala there was a very 
large banyan tree. It measured seven feet across 




A very large banyan tree 



the main body, and was consecrated to the de- 
mons, as the people said. Each year, for three days, 
a festival was held there, the most prominent feature 
of which was a devil's dance. In course of time 



256 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Long let our life, O Agni, be extended." — Rig- Veda 4: 12: 6. 

the missionaries came into possession of the land 
on which this big tree stood, for it was in a good 
location. So at daybreak, one bright December 
morning, the missionary and some native members 
set to work with their axes, to cut the tree down. 
It was not long till all the people around, apprised 
of what was going on, gathered and stood at a safe 
distance, to watch what would happen. They 
thought the demon would have something of evil 
to visit upon those who were so purposely destroy- 
ing his old haunts. At noon, half the tree fell, and 
a little later, the remaining part came down. But 
nothing happened. Then the Christians built a lit- 
tle schoolhouse right over the stump of the old tree, 
and more than ever the people were convinced that 
the demons don't come where Christians are. 

A swami challenged one of the missionaries to a 
discussion. He would allow no native Christian to 
open his mouth during the time. These discussions 
are not often productive of good, for a man with 
the swami's intentions would not be seeking the 
truth, but to confuse the missionary. The terms 
were accepted, and the swami began, " Who are 
you? " If the answer were, " I am a man," then, as 
a Vedantist, he would have gone on to prove by ar- 
gument, that man is only a part of the Divine Being, 
and that sin and salvation are mere words without 
a real meaning. So the answer given was accord- 
ingly, " I am I." 

" What are you? " again asked the swami. 

" I am I," again answered the missionary. 



THE BASLE MISSION, GERMAN LUTHERAN. 257 

" Yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread." 
— Psalms 37: 2$. 

" What do you mean by saying I ? " 

" I mean I.'"' 

" Who speaks through you, if you speak? " 

" If I speak, then do I speak." 

" What is the meaning of saying I? " 

" If I say I, then I mean to say I." 

And then, arguing in true Hindoo style, the 
missionary asked, " Do you know what a man means 
if he says I? " 

" I know it most certainly." 

" Well, why do you keep asking me about it ? " 

At this he appeared a little perplexed, and when 
a native Christian put in a question, he said rather 
angrily, " You have broken the agreement ! " 

Then the missionary closed the argument with a 
little straight advice, saying, " It is not becoming 
to you to show anger. I did not come here to spend 
my time on subtleties and puerilities, but to bear 
the message of salvation through Christ for sinners 
guilty of death, and this message is meant also for 
you, old man. If you do not accept Christ as your 
Savior, you will be lost." Three years later the 
swami met the missionary again. He listened at- 
tentively to the preaching, and promised to come 
to see the teacher of religion in his own home some 
day. 

The experience of Mark Mada tells how things go 
in old missions sometimes. He was baptized in 
1892, the nephew of one who had long since been 
walking in the light. His heathen relatives dragged 



258 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

'" He who has had connection with a woman of one of the lowest castes, 
shall be put to death." — Inst, of Vishnu 5: 43. 

away his wife and threw his infant child at his feet, 
leaving him nothing but the empty house. In vain 
he sought for Government help. He got on any 
way for a year, and then, to regain his wife and 
property, he relapsed into heathenism. During the 
next six years he remained so, but as he confessed, 
without any peace of mind, and the little spark of 
spiritual life was kept alive, perhaps, by the occa- 
sional visits of some native Christians. Finally his 
wife became very ill, and had a dream in which a 
venerable old man came to her and directed her to 
follow Christ and through Him obtain eternal hap- 
piness. She resolved to be a Christian, and gave 
her husband no rest till he called for a teacher from 
among the Christians. He felt rather ashamed to 
do so, but when he did, he confessed, saying, " I 
suffered severely under the punishments of God, 
and I have enough of it now." And the old uncle 
was much elated when the erring wanderer came 
back to the fold, and that bringing others with him. 
The Basle Mission leads all others in industrial 
work. Its great tile factories have come to be the 
pride of Mangalore, and are spoken of far and wide 
as an example of what an industry can attain in 
the hands of missionaries. The missionaries have 
invented a new kind of tile for the roofing of houses, 
and these, now known as ]\Iangalore tile, are used 
on the best of houses all over India. The princi- 
pal factories are at Mangalore, where over 500 na- 
tive Christians are employed. In the other indus- 



THE BASLE MISSION, GERMAN LUTHERAN. 259 



" I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." — Isaiah 41: 13. 

tries at Mangalore are employed chiefly Christians, 
as follows: In weaving, 130; in the press, 50; in 
mechanical workshops, 32 ; in the mercantile mis- 
sion branch, 13 ; and in the book shop, 8. There 
are more than 80 employed 
in about thirty dii¥erent ' 
professions outside the 
mission. Some of these at- 
tend night school, and one 
man, when he saw that he 
had a balance credit to his 
account at the end of the 
year, drew it and spent the 
whole amount for religious 
books and tracts to give to 
his non-Christian friends. 

During the last sixty 
years it is interesting to 
note that the mission press 
issued 262,000 Bibles and portions of the Scriptures 
in five difl:erent languages ; 2,413,230 religious tracts 
in five different languages, and 5,110,975 school- 
books and others in eight different languages. Last 
year alone more than 51,000 religious books were 
sold from their own publishing house, while the 
whole amount of sales of books both from their own 
and other houses, both of schoolbooks and religious 
books was over $11,000! 

In the work they have 54 ordained men, all Germans, 
now on the field. About 24 stations are occupied, 
with 115 outstations. There are 20 native pastors, 




In mechanical workshops." 



26o 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" It is the glory of God in the World, by which this wheel of Brahma 
revolves." — Swetaswatara Upanishad 6: i. 

136 evangelists and catechists, i8 colporteurs, 31 
Bible women, 220 Christian school masters, 65 
Christian school mistresses, 139 non-Christian 
school masters, and a total church membership of 
14,696, half of whom are listed as communicants. 
The contributions of the native churches per year 

is $4,000 which 
amounts to about 
fifty cents each. 
There are 17 in 
theological 
schools, 29 in 
training schools, 
and 600 orphans. 
In the Sunday 
schools are 1,400 
children, and 
some 9,700 go to the day schools provided by the 
mission. 

These are the closing words of a recent Basle 
Mission report : " The attitude of the people in the 
South Mahratta country seems to be all that one 
can wish in the way of politeness and kindness, but 
w^e do not find that conversions take place in pro- 
portion to the friendliness of the population. All 
our cares and needs we lay down before the throne 
of our Lord, asking Him, ' Let thy Kingdom come 
also in India as all over the world ! ' " 




Church in Kannanur. 



THE FRIENDS, THE BRETHREN, AND THE 
MENNONITES. 

Chapter Twenty. 

"I have called you friends." — John 15: 15. 

These three bodies of Christians come naturally- 
together because they have in common several dis- 
tinctive characteristics. Stated negatively, they are 
alike non-swearing, non-conforming, non-litigant, 
and non-militant. Stated positively, they are quiet, 
orthodox, evangelical and devoted, until recently 
scarcely dreaming of their dormant possibilities for 
missionary conquest throughout the world. 

The Friends in England number about 100,000 
and only about a fourth of them give anything to 
the foreign missions of the church. They have 
a prosperous mission in the Central Provinces, and 
everything well systematized. The women seem 
to be doing more than the men, as the thousand 
orphans are supported by them, and out of the thir- 
ty-six missionaries in India sixteen of them are un- 
married ladies. Self-support has been upheld from 
the first, and now the native Christians advertise 
hand-made cloth of the best material at moderate 
prices. 

George Lambert came to India in May, 1897, bear- 
ing the liberality of many Americans, especially 
Mennonites. He distributed the money and the 
grain that followed, as seemed best in that time of 
famine. Then he went home telling the story of 

261 



262 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 




^Miserable looking creatures." 



" From his eye the sun had birth." — Atharva-\'eda 19: 6: 7. 

India's woes, and two years later Elder Ressler and 
Doctor Page and wife came to the field to stay. 
Page's health failed and they returned. Others 

took their places, and the 
work bids fair to be a suc- 
cess. They have about 600 
orphans. Some of these as 
they came were most piti- 
ful. I can mention but 
one. An old woman and 
two daughters begged to 
be taken into the orplian- 
a g e. Miserable-looking 
creatures they were. In a short time the mother 
died, and two months later no one would have be- 
lieved them to be the same girls, had 
he not known. The location in the 
Central Provinces, on the border of a / ^^ 
vast forest and large numbers of for- 
est tribes, is very favorable. 

With instructions from the Gener- 
al Missionary and Tract Committee 
of the Brethren, to go to Bombay 
and there choose out a location for 
work, on the i6th of October, 1894, 
three of us sailed from New York 
harbor. We came to India as strangers to a strange 
land, put up in a Parsee hotel, and in a few da3-s 
were kindly received into the home of JNI. H. Alody, 
a Parsee Christian, where we stayed several months 
before determining upon a permanent location. 






I A 



Jk 



\ 



Two months later." 



FRIENDS^ BRETHREN, MENNONITES. 263 

" All ye are brethren." — Matt. 23 : 8. 

During this time we gathered all the information we 
could, awaiting the guidance of the Lord. Finally 
we were led to Bulsar, as it presented to us a large 
and unoccupied field for our labors, and moreover 
was a healthful point. I am not superstitious, or 
the answer of a lad to me on the occasion of my 
first visit to Bulsar might have sent us somewhere 
else. I had asked what there was in Bulsar, to 
which he replied, " Sahib, there is an English ceme- 
tery here." As I look back now over those first 
steps, I can see how the Lord was leading every 
inch of the way, though at the time we seemed to 
be only doing the thing that was plainly before us 
to be done. 

We were led to Bulsar, an unoccupied ^ railroad 
town of some 12,000 population. The nearest mis- 
sions then were at Surat, the Irish Presbyterians, 
forty miles to the north; at Nasik, the Church of 
England, sixty miles to the east; at Bombay, several 
missions, one hundred and twenty-five miles to the 
south. West of Bulsar three miles is the Arabian Sea. 
About two years from the time we went to Bul- 
sar an old man was brought to me, a back-slidden 
convert of another mission at another place. This 
man and his two sons decided to walk with us. 
Then with these three as a nucleus we gathered to- 
gether all that were almost persuaded, and talking 
the matter over, set a day for baptism. That v/as 
a happy day when we led our first •juiis down into 
the water, eleven of them, to covenant with God in 

1 Unoccupied by any mission. 



264 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



"Truth makes the moon shine." — -Inst, of Vishnu 8: 28. 

Christ Jesus to live faithful until death. Nearly- 
all these are abiding true, though one I think has 
gone back into his former sins. The old man is a 
deacon now, and is happy in his new-found life. 

When the famine of 1897 came on, by the liberal- 
ity of our Brethren and others we did considerable 

relief work, and 
began the orphan- 
age. In the fam- 
ine-relief work, 
both of '97 and of 
1900 we made it a 
point to preach in 
the evening to as 
many of those 
wdio were receiv- 
ing help as we 
possibly could. In 
and outside of 
Bulsar to-day one 
may easily find those who remember with gratitude 
what we did for them in their time of need. 

In 1895 and also 1898, Brother and Sister Miller 
visited us. It was on this last visit that we stood 
together on a piece of land which we earnestly de- 
sired, and Brother Miller said he would give the 
first thousand dollars toward securing the land, and 
building a dwelling house and orphanages. It 
wasn't long till we were getting ready to have mis- 
sion quarters that we need not pay rent for. In 
the building of the house and orphanages, we pro- 




" Outside of Bulsar." 



FRIENDS, BRETHREN, MENNONITES. 



265 



"The true light now shineth." — -i Jno. 2: 8. 

ceeded much like in the famine work. In the even- 
ing we dismissed the laborers ten minutes earlier, 
and then with ten 
minutes from their 
time, we preached to 
all about twenty min- 
utes just before the 
roll-call. The famine 
gave us all the orphans 
we could possibly care 
for, and we are con- 
stantly moving in and 
out among them, and 
personally doing 
all we can to es- 
tablish high ideals 
and strong con- 
victions in their 
hearts. With our 
300 boys and girls, 
and their teach- 
ers, the industrial 
work, and Ren 
Chord and Burie, and some other Christian helpers 
living near by, our home at Bulsar becomes a hive of 
industry. 

The church is small and weak yet, for many of 
those received are the larger orphan children. How- 
ever, they have all vowed to give systematically of 
the scanty wages they may receive, and so, from 
the native contributions at Bulsar alone, a native 




" Our girls." 



266 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 




" Renchord and Burie." 



"Make the niggard's soul grow soft." — Rig-Veda 6: 53: 3. 

brother is supported who gives his whole time to the 
work in the regions round about and just beyond. 
We are building for the fu- 
ture. That will be a Christian 
community over there some 
day, and now is the time to 
work. It would be too bad if 
they should grow up to be a 
non-missionary church ! 

Our place of baptism in the 
Vanki River not far from our 
home is beautifully adapted to 
the purpose. The water is 
generally warm, and when we 
go down into the stream sev- 
eral go in together, and standing each awaits his 
turn. I have baptized here, by triple immersion, 
thirty-one in thirty-five minutes, which would be 
at the rate of fifty an hour, or 500 
a day. And there was no hurry and 
no excitement. 

In the spring of 1899 Brother 
Forney moved to Naosari, just half 
way between Bulsar and Surat. 
Walking into Naosari, Luxman 
Hall is so prominently before us, 
and is so much like a church, that 
one instinctively thinks of the days 
when there will l)c Christians many 
to worship there. This is in a native state, and just 
across on the opposite side of the railroad is Eng- 




A native brother is 
supported." 



268 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"A woman must never be independent." — Laws of Manu 5: 141. 




" Walking into Naosari." 

lish territory. Here in Jalalpor has Brother For- 
ney chosen to locate and build, but the field of his 
labors remains the same. He has an orphanage al- 
so, and the work is carried on with the same energ}-" 
and simplicity as at Bulsar. 

In the autumn of 1899 Brother McCann's located 
at Anklesvar, on the banks of the Nerbudda River, 
sacred to Hindoos. The only house suitable was 
obtained on rent from a jMahomedan gentleman, 
and there they dwelt till their new and larger quar- 
ters were completed. He was scarcely ready for 
active work 3^et when he was thrust into it by the 
pressing conditions of the famine. Especially did 
the poor hill tribes east of Anklesvar suffer from 
want of food. They are always poor, and in famine 
times their suffering surpasses all that could be im- 
agined. Among them a great deal of relief was 
Sfiven. 



FRIENDS, BRETHREN, MENNONITES. 269 

For there is no respect of persons with God." — Rom. 2: 11. 




" The only house suitable." 

As the famine conditions were much worse here 
than at our other stations, Brother Forney and I 
went up week after week to help in the distribu- 
tions. So, those that survived have come to know 
us, and a number of them have accepted the Savior. 
An orphanage is in good running order, and our be- 
ginning here promises to be larger in its results than 
at any other point thus far occupied. 

A good illustration of what our children think 
of their home with us, was shown in a recent ex- 
perience at Anklesvar. There had been a number of 
starving children gotten together in a native state, 
and these were about to be brought to the orphan- 
age, when the petty authorities thought it incom- 
patible with legislative dignity to allow the children 
to go. And they were left remain. A short time 
after, some of the boys from the orphanage asked 
to go back to see the place of their old home. Go- 



270 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Slavelike may I do service to the bounteous." — RigA'eda -: 86: 7. 

ing, they came across these others, and twenty-one 
children walked thirty miles to find the welcome a 
Christian orphanage freely gives ! 

Bro. Ebey's intend to occupy Dahanu this winter. 
Dahaim is a Tahika town, half way between Bulsar 
and Bombay. This will give us a chain of stations 
along the railroad from Dahanu to Anklesvar about 
140 miles. East of Dahanu Taluka 
is the native state of Jowhar. East 
of Bulsar Taluka is Pardi Taluka 
and the native state of Dharampur. 
East of Jalalpor is part of Bardoli 
and Chickli Talukas and the native 
state of Bansda. And west from 
Anklesvar and a half Taluka by the 
sea, while east is the native state of 
Raj Pipla. I have been in these 
states, all but the first one, and was 
received hospitably, especially in 
Raj Pipla, where we were shown 
every kindness. The dewan is a 
splendid gentleman. 

It seems to me we have large 
opportunities. All around about us 
are reachable people, thousands of 
them. And there are thousands of 
fishermen as yet untouched by the 
Gospel. These fishermen are clannish, and rather 
despised by other Hindoos, because they catch fish 
for a living, thus taking life. And to the cast are 
hill tribes, Bhils and Varlevs, tens of thousands of 




■ A chain of stations." 



FRIENDS, BRETHREN, MENNONITES. 2^1 

"Christ shall give thee light.'' — Eph. 5: 14. 

them, who ought to have as much spiritual capacity 
as the Karens and the Telugus. It is the glory of the 
Gospel that from the poorest tribes can be raised 
up a mighty people to the Lord. But we dare not 
play with His work! We ought to have about 
twenty-five missionaries in that field now. As this 
year closes we have eleven ! We ought to have a 
number of single sisters ! We have one, Eliza B. 
Miller ! We ought to have a lady doctor ! We have 
none ! 

At the present time we have about twenty native 
helpers of all grades, and . a total church member- 
ship of about 250. This will double in less than 
three years ! And then double again in less than 
five more ! And there are those in America, breth- 
ren, who are careful students of mission problems, 
who have suggested to me this year, that it is possi- 
ble that many of us will live to see the day when 
our own Brethren Church will have more members 
in India than in the home land ! I believe it is not 
merely possible. It is probable ! 

Is it not possible? Is it not probable? Like the 
Friends in England, we number about 100,000 com- 
municant members. If each Sunday school would 
hold its collection for foreign missions on the first 
Sunday of each month, every district could have 
a foreign missionary in the field, and there would 
be more in the treasury at the end of the year than 
if they held all the collections to pay their own 
running expenses ! If each congregation would 



272 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Who, throned in three worlds, helps the Aryan man." — Rig- 
Veda i: 156: 5. 

have a missionary-day several times a year, with 
all missionary sermons, a missionary program, and 
missionary collections those days, every congrega- 
tion could have its own representative in the field, 
and have more left than if they had not tried ! If 
each member would make it a personal matter, and 
besides praying for the work would give systematic- 
ally either a certain amount or a certain proportion 
regularly, and do so " on the first day of the week," 
he would not only live up to the teaching of this 
Scripture, but he would give a wonderful impetus to 
the foreign work, besides doing more for home in- 
terests than he would do otherwise. Now were 
these three " ifs " removed, we could have a thou- 
sand missionaries in scores of different localities 
giving their whole time to the work, and the home 
churches would be stronger and better and more 
united than ever, in having done what perhaps their 
fathers would have thought impossible! 

Again, suppose that we number 100,000 souls all 
told. Suppose each one conscientiously gave the 
Lord's tenth. Suppose we earn on an average a 
dollar a day. There are $3,000,000 a year for the 
Lord ! Perhaps the average wage is placed too high. 
Put it at thirty-three cents a day. Then if each one 
give the tenth, it comes to $1,000,000, — a sum that 
the large denominations have been laboring hard 
to raise for missions from year to year. And here 
it is in our very pockets. I know a number of 
good l)rethren who are liberal givers, and not one 



Friends, brethren, mennonites. 



273 



"I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand." — Isaiah 41: 13. 

of them is stubborn, self-important, or uncharitable. 
And I know a few other persons who are stubborn, 
self-important and uncharitable, and not one of them 
is a liberal giver to the Lord's cause. Whatever we 
do we must be charitable. 

Charity has a wider meaning too than referred to 
above. He is charitable who grants to me the same 




" \\'hat their falliers would have thovight impossible." 



that he wishes me to grant to him. Let us rather 
yield our ideas to the opinions of other good, hon- 
est brethren V'/ho may differ from us, rather yield 
I say and be brethren, than each to contend hotly 
for his own notion, and disagreeing, henceforward 
walk together no more ! Brethren, by the mercies 
of God, let us have no more division ! There are 



274 



INDIA; A PROBLEM, 



"Thirty-three gods are drinkers of Soma." — Aitareya Brahmana 2: 18. 

far too many divisions in Christendom already ! 
Where there are more points in common than differ- 
ences, two bodies of people ought to come together 
because of their many similarities, rather than go 
apart because of a few differences ! May the Lord 
graciously bless us, and cause His face to shine up- 
on us, and make us to be richly indwelt by His Holy 
Spirit for evermore! 




OTHER WORK AND OTHER WORKERS. 
Chapter Twenty-One. 

" Three bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy 
Ghost." — 1 Jno. 5: 7. 

Into the zenana, the women's quarters, women 
alone can go. All over India zenana workers, — 
cheerful, happy, Christian women, visit in the homes 
of the women who are not cheerful nor happy nor 
Christian, and carry to them the Gospel of light and 
love there. The higher classes of Hindoo and Ma- 
homedan women generally live secluded. And they 
are taught that it is the proper thing for good wom- 
en to do ; so a missionary lady is not always welcome 
there at first, but when they come to know, then her 
visits are always appreciated. Women's work for 
woman is of the first importance, for all over the 
world the mother-lessons are the first a child re- 
ceives. Married or single, the influence of a de- 
voted missionary woman is recognized by all. Of 
course, a married woman has home duties of her 
own to claim part of her attention, while a single 
woman has not these. A married woman has a 
chance to demonstrate the true relationship of wife 
to husband, while among a people who think that 
girls must be married as children or go to the bad, 
a pure-minded, dignified, unmarried woman conveys 
a new idea. Educated native gentlemen have often 
been quoted as saying, "We do not fear your 
preaching nor your books, but your women in our 

275 



276 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Prepare for us wide pasture free from danger." — Rig- Veda 7: it. 4. 

houses, and your doctors by our sick, will do moie 
to establish your religion than anything else." The 
Church of England alone has 248 single ladies in the 
India mission, while in all India there are 1,134 such 
workers ! 

The missionary hospitals and the free dispen- 
saries are an agency that is destined to do good in 
any land. Government has its hospitals, but there 
are many of the lower and the poorer who are afraid 
of the hospital. The medical missionary mingling 
among all classes freely is not feared when known. 
There is a wide scope for the medical missionary who 
would devote himself to the work for the love of hu- 
manity, and through the body the door to the heart is 
often opened. " Five hundred patients a day," " Ten 
thousand patients in a year," " Twelve hundred 
surgical operations," this is the way the missions 
that have medical work report. I am not infre- 
quently called upon to poultice a boil, or treat a 
fever, or draw a tooth. And we can do it too. I 
most assuredly believe in the efficacy of prayer, and 
in the power of the Lord to heal, but in the case of 
a Christian down with common fever I would follow 
the prayer with a good dose of castor oil, and qui- 
nine. If he were a non-Christian, after the preach- 
ing of the Word, I should give the same treatment, 
other things being equal. And in this we are con- 
sistent. I am baptized " for the remission of sins," 
according to the Scripture, and I am saved by grace. 
I pray daily, '" Give us this day our daily bread," and 
then I work for that very thing. And I pray for 



OTHER WORK AND OTHER WORKERS. 2/7 

"I am the Lord that healeth thee." — Exodus 15: 26. 

healing, and why should I not do all I know to 
bring about the desired healing? Over quinine 
which breaks fever, over water which quenches 
thirst, over fried potatoes which allay hunger, over 
any one of these three I can ask a blessing just as 
clearly as over any other one of them. The thing 
is to use and not abuse God's blessings to us. About 
a mission hospital the story of the Gospel is told 
over and over, and those who receive aid and re- 
lief often become eager learners of the way of truth 
and life. " Thy will be done, O God." 

It is said that over a hundred vernacular news- 
papers have a distinct bias against Christianity, and 
that in Lucknow and Cawnpore there are fifty press- 
es turning out tons of impure and anti-Christian lit- 
erature weekly. Many a poor native knows noth- 
ing of Christianity except what he has gathered 
from some translated leaf upholding the threadbare 
arguments of Ingersoll. The British and Foreign 
Bible Society is an active agent to meet this evil 
in India, and has auxiliaries in Madras, Calcutta, 
Bombay, Allahabad, Lahore, and Bangalore. Trans- 
lating the Scripture into fifty-two different languages 
and dialects of the country, the annual circulation of 
the same runs into the millions. 

There are forty-one presses and publishing houses 
connected with missions, which have an output of 
over 200,000,000 pages annually. In the eighteen dif- 
ferent Book and Tract Societies the work is vigorous- 
ly prosecuted. The Religious Tract Society has seven 



2/8 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"O Indra. Ho tliere! Why sittest thou at ease? " — RivA'eda 8: 69: 5. 

branches in as many cities. The Christian litera- 
ture Society publishes nearly 60,000,000 copies of 
books and tracts annually in eighteen languages. 
These mission presses also publish 24 weekly, 81 
monthly, 11 semi-monthly, and 14 quarterly news- 
papers and magazines. 

The Young Men's Christian Association is at 
work more especially among English-speaking peo- 
ple, yet not without strong efforts among the peo- 
ple of India. There are 131 associations, with out- 
fit more or less complete. The splendid buildings 
in the several cities are a credit to the work and 
workers. 

No small interest clusters around a special effort 
in behalf of that most deplorable class, the lepers. 
It is a surprising fact that the leper people of India 
number 400,000 souls ! These poor mortals are of- 
ten stoned away from the doors of houses where 
they go to beg, and many a poor old man or woman 
lives in a little hut only waiting his time to die. The 
leper mission establishes homes in connection with 
other missions. The lepers are taught, they do 
what little gardening or other work they can, and 
husbands and wives live separate. Children are al- 
so kept apart from parents, and often grow up un- 
tainted ! There are now about 5,000 lepers thus 
happily provided for, and many of these have ac- 
cepted Christ. A leper church when established is 
of course kept separate. 

The Arcot mission of the American Reformed 
Church is doing a prosperous work in the south of 



OTHER WORK AND OTHER WORKERS. 



279 




" A leper church." 



"All the earth shall worship thee." — Psalms 66: 4- 

India. Prominent 
among the work- 
ers are Jacob 
Chamberlain, who 
has been on the 
field over forty 
years, and the 
Scudders, who for 
several genera- 
tions have been 
missionaries. Not 
far distant from 

them is the Lutheran mission, at Guntur, into which 
large numbers of accessions have been made during 
the last few years. 

We have had very pleasant association with the 
missionaries of the American Missionary Alliance, 

whose workers in India foot 
up to about forty. Their 
workers at Mehmadebad have 
built a very large church. 
And the Australians, known 
as the Poona and Indian 
Village Mission, have sixty 
odd workers on the field. 
Both these missions are comparatively 5'^oung in the 
India field, but are making their influence felt by 
their devotion and enthusiasm. The latter makes 
it a point to send unmarried workers, and requires 
them, on pain of dismissal from the mission, not to 
marry inside of five years. Many of their best work- 




klWMi 



i'^'-r^ 



At Guntur.' 



28o 



INDIA ; A PKODLEM. 



" He is not woman, he is not man, nor hermaphrodite." — Swetaswatara 
Upanishad 5: 10. 

ers think this is rather too much of a good thing. I 
should think it usually advisable to go unmarried, 
and then not marry for a year or two after being on 
the field. Of course, there are exceptions to all 
rules. 

In the Central Provinces the Disciples have a 
mission with forty-nine foreign missionaries. Their 




" Built a very large church." 



work was begun about twelve years before our Breth- 
ren first came to India. 

In Calcutta the Advents have headquarters for 
their India v^'ork. They have some twenty-four 
workers in that city and elsewhere, and publish a 
paper in English in the interest of thc'r idea. Al- 



OTHER WORK AND OTHER WORKERS. 281 

" The word of the Lord endureth forever." — i Peter i : 2$. 

SO have a branch of their " International Tract So- 
ciety." 

Away up among the mountain heights of the 
Himalayas, about two miles above sea level, are at 
work the Moravian Church. Their work up there 
is not the most successful as far as numbers is con- 
cerned, but they stick right to it, believing that if 
they do their part well they will win sooner or 
later. This is the most enthusiastic mission body 
extant, as the home membership is about 38,000 
while the foreign missionaries are nearly 400. That 
means even more than i to 100 are foreign mission- 
aries. Their rate per cent of gifts for missions is 
also higher than that of any other church. 

The Salvation Army is also in India, and their 
patient self-sacrifice is most praiseworthy. They 
have some noble characters among them, but one 
feels sorry for their methods. Many workers go 
out to India in all good faith, and then leave the 
Army there. These sometimes go independent, and 
often join other missions. As to independent work- 
ers, who make their boast that they are " dependent 
upon God alone " for their support, that they " trust 
no man for aid," it seems to me that the very circu- 
lars heralding these conditions are a kind of a dou- 
ble-barreled shot gun. They contain an ironical 
thrust at missions that are systematically organized 
for a definite work, and second, they bear on the 
face of them an appeal for help. I can not do better 
than quote from the report of a recent deputation to 
India to look into the mission work. " We cannot 



282 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" He who can see inaction in action, and action in inaction is wise." — • 
Bhagavad Gita 4: iS. 

but record our conviction, based upon observation, 
that so-called independent mission work is wasteful 
of funds, and in most cases barren of good results, 
even if not an actual hindrance to the progress of 
the kingdom." 

It would not be fair to end a chapter of this kind 
without some mention of the work of the Roman 
Catholics. As far back as the time of Francis Xavier 
they began work in India. And the Portuguese 
possessions are all CathoHc, ruled by petty chiefs. 
The territories in which this religion is supreme al- 
low no Protestant to preach the Gospel there ! They 
have, all told, about 8,000 orphan children, several 
large schools, and churches, and many followers. 
The Jesuit College in Bomba}^ has sixteen European 
professors. A prominent way of mission work, as 
reported in a recent Catholic directory published 
in Madras, is to " baptize heathen children in dan- 
ger of death." 

In company w^ith a friend of like mind to that 
which I enjoy, I went one day to Bandra, a small 
town not far from Bombay, on St. Mary's day. All 
along the road from the railway station to the Cath- 
olic church, there were w^ax candles large and small, 
wax hands, arms, legs, heads, hearts, and babies for 
sale by venders who were eager to sell. On inquiry 
what these things meant, one good-natured fellow 
told us that if any person hurt his hand, he would 
make a vow to j\lary that he would give his hand 
to her if he would get well. So when he did re- 



OTHER WORK AND OTHER WORKERS. 283 

"Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many." — Matt. 24: 11. 

cover, he came here on St. Mary's day to pay his 
vow, and he bought a wax hand, which became his 
by virtue of the purchase, and he offered that to the 
virgin. Legs, arms, heads, and hearts the same way. 
At last we ventured, " And the babies? " to which he 
humorously replied, " You see, if any woman don't 
have any, she makes a vow to Mary that if she will 
grant this her desire, why, then she'll give her child 
to Mary. Then after the child comes, the mother 
paying her vow on St. Mary's day, buys a wax baby, 
and gives it to Mary." By his significant smile, 
we thought he might have added, " And poor Mary, 
she never knows the difference ! " In this same 
way, all over Gujerat, Mahomedans vow a horse to 
Pyr, and then pay him off with a cloth horse ten 
inches long stuffed with sawdust ! And poor Pyr, he 
never knows the difference! 



FAMINES AND THE ORPHANS. 
Chapter Twenty-Two. 

" For killing an elephant, or a horse, or a camel, or a cow, the criminal 
shall have one hand or one foot lopped off." — Inst, of Vishnu 5: 48. 

Fro]m time immemorial famines have been more or 
less frequent in India. Where the masses of the 
people are poor and rather improvident, where the 
population is very dense, it is not far to see the re- 
sult, if one harvest fails either by lack of rain-fall 
or because of swarms of insects or army of vermin. 
In the last century there were forty odd famines 
in India, a few of which were fearful in extent. The 
famine of '-jj caused the death of some 6,300,000 
souls. The famine of "97, in the memory of all, was 
followed closely by that of 1900 which was the most 
severe in the century. In these times of crisis Gov- 
ernment does everything' in its poAver to save life, 
and spends millions upon millions of dollars in relief. 
And the missionaries play no small part when con- 
fronted with such colossal opportunities for philan- 
thropic endeavor. 

The form of relief usually employed is that of 

digging canals or tanks for those who are strong 

enough to work, and opening soup kitchens for those 

who can not work. These soup kitchens are free, 

of course, and ha\"e a physician in attendance. At 

Broach at one time during the last famine there 

were 29.000 people at work on one tank, it was 

a wonderful sight. Across the river at Anklesvar 

284 



286 IXDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"Not one of you, ye gods, is small." — Rig-\'eda 8: 30: i. 

10,000 men were at work on another tank. Usually 
the men dig, and women and men carry the dirt 
to the edge of the tank in baskets on their heads. 
There it is thrown and a large embankment is thus 
erected all around. Then when the rains come, 
it fills with water which is used for irrigating, as 
well as for bathing, washing, and drinking purposes. 

It is during these times of extremity that Gov- 
ernment is put to her wit's end to do justice to all. 
An army of subordinates has to be employed, and 
these are of all kinds. A personal friend, a Brahmin 
who is the Government Examiner of famine ac- 
counts for a large district, told us a few months 
ago, that he believed only a third of the Government 
relief money ever reached the poor sufferers. Tliis 
we take to be incredible ; but if even half true, it 
points to a terrible state of iniquity. It was a mat- 
ter of common notice how little the religious ad- 
visers and leaders of the Hindoos troubled them- 
selves about the sick and starving. ^ 

For one having not seen it is hard to understand. 
There is grain in the country, and many have all 
they want to eat, while thousands starve. It is even 
so. When a crop fails there is no work. Those 
who live from hand to mouth at once have nothing. 
They cannot borrow, for they are already in debt. 
Scarcity raises the prices of grains to two or three 
times the ordinary. Then the roots and herbs are 
sought, and the trees whose leaves are food for ani- 
mals only are stripped bare in search of food. The 

1 1. P. Mission Report, 1901. 



FAMINES AND THE ORPHANS. 



287 



" Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." 
—Matt. 24: 35. 

banyan is a very large tree never shedding all its 
leaves. Starving men climb to the topmost branch- 
es of these to get the leaves, and in a few weeks only 
the skeleton stands as a witness of the famine. 

Grain and food- 
stuffs are import- 
ed from Burma, or 
any other country. 
The laws of trade 
regulate that. 
Those who have 
money can buy. 
But those who 
have none, and 
can get no work, 
who are poor 
when good times 
prevail, they must 
starve ! Then 
comes the timely 
relief work that 
these poor mor- 
tals may dig and 
get money and buy 

r 1 1 ,1 " The skeleton stands as a witness." 

food and eat! 

Government stimulates the natural channels of com- 
merce by reducing freight rates at such times, and 
on the other hand prohibits dealers from taking ex- 
orbitant prices in the relief camps. 

It is in these trying times that missionaries with 
characteristic whole-heartedness enter into the work 




288 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" No sacrifice, no penance, and no fasting is allowed to women apart from 
their husbands." — Laws of IManu 5: 155. 

of saving the lives of old and young, of men and 
women. 

Children especially appeal to the sympathy of the 
merciful, for grown people can look after themselves 
while the children are often left to die.^ Besides, 




" Left to die." 

the aged could live but a few years longer at best, 
while the child in good hands may grow up to be 
useful and industrious above his neighbors, and be- 
come a blessing to the community for many years. 

When a new child comes into the orphanage he 
first has his head cleanly shaven, then he gets a 
good hot bath and clean clothes, then soup and per- 
haps medicine according to the needs of the case. 
Boys and girls get the same treatment. And two 
days after arrival you would hardly think it possible 
that he is the same child. The difference of a year 

■* Jackals had attacked the child in the illustration, when she was res- 
cued by a missionary. She did not live long after. 



FAMINES AND THE ORPHANS. 289 

"Judge me, O Lord; for I have walked in mine integrity." — 
Psalms 26: I. 

is remarkable. They grow in grace and in stature 
astonishingly well. They run off, and then come 
back, asking pardon. They fight sometimes, and 
then are sorry for it. For the most part they learn 
eagerly to read and write and work and sing and 
pray. 

They are rather quick to follow the majority. 
They like to follow the crowd. This is good when 
the crowd moves aright. Sometimes a new girl 
comes in wearing bangles on legs and arms. Noth- 
ing is said, but she sees no bangles in the whole 
institution perhaps, and presently feeling unlike 
anybody else goes to taking hers all off. One time 
one of our girls grew unruly, and after advising and 
entreating I threatened to make her into a Hindoo 
if she did not behave as became a girl in a Christian 
orphanage. It soon became necessary to carry out 
the threat. We put a caste mark on her forehead, 
and rings about her wrists and ankles. All the 
other girls laughed at her. We left them on all day, 
and- she was glad enough to have these signs of 
heathenism removed and be as the other girls. 

There was a boy nearly dead when we got him. 
He grew worse. Sunday forenoon we were at 
church services. Of course he was too ill to come. 
He could not walk, nor stand alone. Just before 
the closing prayer, one of our number slipped out 
of the meeting to go and see that our dinner which 
he had left on the fireplace was all right. It was 



290 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" A king must take from his subjects as taxes a sixth part every year of 
the grain, and of all seeds." — Inst, of Vishnu 3: 23. 



gone. 



He came runninsr to tell us. 



the meeting- while two or three went to search 



We continued 
In 

a short time they found the whole wrapped up, and 
the starving boy lying on it. However he got it 
we could not tell. He was so weak he died in a day 
or two after.. Preparations were at once made, and 
healthy boys bore the corpse away to 
burial. 

In the orphanages the children are put 
to that kind of work that they take to most 
freely. Some don't take to work at all. 
Some learn carpentry, some weaving, some 
gardening, some shoemaking, some tinning, 
some caning of chairs, and all kinds of in- 
dustrial work is established for them, that 
they may become self-supporting men and 
women as soon as possible. Those who 
work in the day time must study at night 
from seven to ten. And those who 
have no work go to school all day. 
Some of the brightest become teach- 
ers to the others. The night school 
teachers study in the day time. Our 
boys have a literary society, which is 
primary enough, but still some of their essays and 
debates are not without hopeful signs of the future. 
They do their own cooking and wash their own 
clothes. The girls make the bread every afternoon. 
The first couple years a child in the orphanage costs 
about $1.25 a month, but after they get older, espe- 




There was a boy.' 



FAMINES AND THE ORPHANS. 29I 

jc kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love." — Rom. 12: 10. 




" Healthy boys bore the corpse away." 

cially as they begin industrial work, they cost more. 
It is an absorbing question now with all the missions 
what best to do 

for the orphan 
children. 
When they sit 

down to eat, 

they sjt in long 

rows on the 

ground floor. 

One at the end 

dishes the food 

out of the big 

vessel, or ves- 
sels, and IT there _ _ " Our boys have a literary society.' 




292 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" A sudra who has found a treasure must give five parts to the king, five 

parts to Brahmins and keep two parts to himself." — 

Inst, of Vishnu 3: 61. 

is any left it is giv- 
en to those who 
worked hardest or 
perhaps got least. 
And if there be not 
quite enough to go 
round, that is, if the 
distributer has giv- 
en out too liberally, 
those remaining 
take their dishes 
and passing along 
in front of the oth- 
ers take up a collection. Each one throws a little 
in from his own dish with his hand, and it often 
happens that they who got none get the most. Then, 
all served, one of their number usually stands and 




The girls make the bread 




" They sit in long rows on the ground-floor." 



FAMINES AND THE ORPHANS. 293 

"All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord." — Psalms 145: 10. 

asks the blessing, after which, remaining where they 
are they into it with their hands. After the meal 
each one always washes his own dish and puts it 
away. 

From these famine children we reasonably hope 
will come some of the strong Christian workers of 
India in the years to come. Altogether there are 
at the present time more than 25,000 orphan children 
in the several Protestant Indian orphanages. In 
Gujerat the Irish Presbyterian Mission^ .which is 
the oldest in that section of the country, has over 
1,500, the Methodist Mission has over 1,000, the 
American Missionary Alliance has over 500, and the 
Brethren have about 600. 

The question often arises, Why this famine? And 
being desirous of seeing the bright side always, we 
can only answer that the famine enables the people 
to compare religions by their fruits, and to find out 
who are their true friends. It also stirs up good 
people at home to be charitable. It is a good thing 
to be liberally minded ! It is a good thing for a 
man to find out who his best friends are ! 



A LOST OPPORTUNITY. 



Chapter Twenty-Three. 



" May thy bright arrow shot down by thee from heaven pass us uninjured 
by." — Rig- Veda 7: 46: 3. 

In the southern part of India, chiefly in the na- 
tive state of ]\lalabar, there is a community called 
Syrian Christians, or the Christians of St. Thomas. 
They claim to be the descendants of the converts of 
the Apostle Thomas, who it is said made his way 
to India on a missionary journey, and was martyred 

in Madras. These 
statements are held 
in question however 
by recent authori- 
ties. But the people 
are there. And ac- 
cording to the 
Metropolitan i\I a r 
Dionysius, in a let- 
ter to me, the com- 
munity consists of 
some 400,000 souls 
at the present time. 
The last census gives 
all classes of Syrians 
as 561,327. 

Early the }" be- 
came Nestorian in 

Syrian P.ishop Mar Tilus Thomas. faith, and they haVC 

-'94 




A LOST OPPORTUNITY. 



295 



" Every woman that prophesieth ... let her be covered." — 
I Cor. II : 5, 6. 

not been without their internal differences. They have 
many interesting customs which are worthy the atten- 
tion of the student of religious history. At the close of 
a meeting a priest stands at the door of the church as 
the people pass out and gives to each his blessing, but 
if there be one who has departed from the order and 
manner of life, the priest withholds the blessing. 

The author of "The Wrongs of Indian Woman- 
hood," Mrs. Fuller, once was about to speak to a 
congregation of these people, when she noticed a 
p-reat uneasiness in the house. On inquiry as to 

o 

the cause, she 
learned that they 
objected to a 
woman's stand- 
ing in the pulpit, 
so she stepped 
down. Then they 
objected to a 
woman's speak- 
ing with head un- 
covered, so she 
replaced her bon- 
net which she 
had for the mo- 
ment laid aside. 
Then it was all 
right and they 
had a splendid 

meeting. They Syrian priest and family. 




296 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" Then he must dive under water and mutter a prayer three times." — • 
Inst, of \'ishnu 64: 19. 

also hold to a form of the agapse, or supper, which 
is unlike most churches. 

All through the centuries what an opportunity 
that church had ! Before Mahomed rose in Arabia 
they were the only aggressive religion there ! They 
must have been at some time or other a missionary 
people ! Else how did their churches spread to 
where they did? And they lost that precious heri- 
tage somehow ! They have become in some things 
like their surroundings, instead of re-vivifying their 
surroundings and recreating them ! They tried 
faithfulty to hold to the doctrine, and were much 
concerned as to their own welfare, and in propor- 
tion less concerned for the welfare of others, and 
so lost the spirit of life ! 

The spirit of life is the missionary spirit. To 
live for others, to sacrifice for others, to labor for 
others willingly, this is the exercise of the mission- 
ary spirit. This is the spirit of Christ. He lived 
the supremely unselfish life. The church that is 
not a missionary church, and refuses to be a mission- 
ar}^ church, is doomed. " All hope abandon ye who 
enter here," is written in plain letters above her 
doors. Such is certainly a solemn assembly because 
death is so near. And they are not ready. And 
they are unwilling to go. Why should Christ con- 
tinue to be anything for those wdio persistently re- 
fuse to be anything for others? 

One thinks of this Church dead in the East in 
comparison with the li\ing Church that grew up 



A LOST OPPORTUNITY. 297 

"The Lord is my helper, I will not fear." — Heb. 13: 6. 

in the West. The opportunity lost seems painful- 
ly sorrowful. Hindooism might have been a matter 
of history now, even as Druidism is, and Alahome- 
danism would have been hedged on both sides from 
the beginning. I want not to criticise the Church 
that lost its golden opportunity. It had not the 
experience of others to profit by as we have. 

I do want to warn }'0U who are Christians to-day, 
that if you have not the missionary spirit, you are 
missing the kernel, and the beauty, and the glory 
of your religion. Alissions to all the world, this 
is the divine idea. Not home exclusively, not for- 
eign exclusively, but to all the world, this is the 
divine idea. Some one argues that the heathen re- 
ligions are good enough for heathen. I have not 
so learned Christ. Some one argues that the Gos- 
pel has been preached to the heathen once, there- 
fore it is enough. I wonder how often he has heard 
the Gospel himself, for by the nature of the argu- 
ment, the littleness and the selfishness of it, I would 
think he had not enough yet ! Some one argues 
that the world is to grow worse till the end. Jnst 
like weak men ! Always apologizing for their mani- 
fest weakness ! AVho was it said, " Go, — Preach, — . 
Baptize, — Teach " ? He also promised, " I will be 
with you alway." Argue away the former teach- 
ing, and if your argument proves anything at all, 
it proves you are missing the promise that follows, 
a promise intended for you. 

Christ died for all the world, and His people must 
live for all the world. You who refuse to believe 



298 



INDIA; A PROBLEM. 



" Do not study for three nights after an eclipse of the moon." — Inst, of 
Vishnu 30: 5. 

this, only heap up condemnation to yourselves and 
miserably curtail the joy of your religious life. I 
would not condemn any, especially those who do 
not know. But you who have read these pages thus 
far, you know, and are therefore without excuse. 
May you be indwelt by the spirit of missions hence- 
forth, which is wholly unselfish, the very spirit of 
the life of our Lord Jesus Christ. 




NEW INDIA, OR WHAT OF THE FUTURE? 
Chapter Twenty-Four. 

"Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof." — Ecc. 7: S. 

Standing upon the threshold of the new century, 
as we look down over the years that will speedily 
come and be counted with the past, we feel more 
than a normal interest in the question, What will 
the future of India be? We have reviewed the 
conditions from the standpoint of a Christian. We 
have seen the operations, in part, of a beneficent 
government, which is stable, and more or less per- 
manent. We have viewed with sorrow the stag- 
nating social conditions, and life-destroying influ- 
ences against moral development, until contem- 
plating the spiritual destitution our souls are made 
to cry out, O Lord, hoy^f long! And we have 
looked upon the work which, by the mercies of our 
Father, in the hands of many missionaries, has 
grown from very humble beginnings to the present 
hopeful proportions it ever3^where enjoys. 

The problem of the future is not one of govern- 
ment, nor yet is it one that government is called 
upon to settle. The problem is not altogether a so- 
cial one, though the social element enters into the 
consideration. The problem is a religions one. As 
is the religion of the country, so will be the social 



300 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

''Thou carriest an awl that urges men to prayer." — RigA'eda 6: 53:8. 

condition of the country. It seems to me that the 
one need of India is true reHgion. I unhesitating- 
ly place this before education, before governmental 
conditions, and before material prosperity. 

Not a few thoughtful native gentlemen have al- 
ready confessed that the need is one religion, not see- 
ing that the one is the necessity. It appears to them 
that if all were united by the bonds of one common re- 
ligion, it were better than now, whatever that reli- 
gion might be. Doubtless many things would be 
better if all were united on some kind of basis, but 
if we discuss only possible things, then this ma}" be 
brought about in two ways. Either all become 
Mahomedans, or all become Christians. It is a 
matter of choice. All can not become Hindoos, 
nor Parsees, nor Buddhists. It is a choice between 
two. Shall India be like Egypt, or like Australia? 
Shall it be like Arabia, or like America? 

Education is a splendid thing. It enlarges a 
man's capacity, and opens up vast fields to him 
that otherwise must have lain unexplored. It 
places power into his hands. But education does 
not regenerate. India needs regenerating. Bring 
a man from the hills, and teach him mathematics, 
astronomy and different languages, but nothing of 
morals, of the future life, of the Just Judge, and 
when he returns to his old haunts again he will get 
into his old vices. But teach him of the new life 
in Christ, and he will get a new heart, and become 
a better man. 



NEW INDIA. 301 

"I will guide thee with mine eye." — Psalms 32: 8. 

The country may be a republic or a monarchy. 
It may be independent or subordinate, that makes 
little difference. A well-ruled colony is a great 
deal better than a poorly-managed state. Govern- 
mental conditions naturally become right, when once 
the people have walked in the right path. 

Pure religion stands above material prosperity, 
for it is a guarantee of happiness and is usually 
followed by somewhat of prosperity, while the lat- 
ter is no assurance of either happiness or religion. 
I do not mean to say that if India were a Christian 
country there would be no more hard times nor 
famine, but this is certain, there would be an end 
to the forever going into debt for weddings and 
death ceremonies, and for wild display in jewelry. 
Children would grow up and choose for themselves 
if they wished to be married or not. The one would 
then be " united in marriage with " the other, in- 
stead of being " tied in marriage to " him. Girls 
could be wage earners too, if there were need. A 
man could then get a start in business before he 
began to raise a family. The opposite is true now. 
He has a family, whether he has anything else or 
not. Women would be school-teachers, and the 
men who are teachers now for a mere pittance, 
could do something that paid better. And if a 
famine came, as come they would, the people would 
be stronger to meet it, there would be no foolish 
caste discrimination with respect to eating, and 



302 



INDIA ; A PROBLE.M. 



" Divine women, with undipped wings." — Satapatha Brahmana 6: 5: .) : 8. 

men would help men first and then the cattle after- 
ward ! 

Christianity will do for suffering" humanity what 
no other religion ever thinks of doing. At a fare- 
well meeting we held before coming to America 
last year, we had a ringing testimony to this fact, 
from a native gentleman. The sermon was ended, 
and a few of those present at the meeting took 
advantage of the opportunity to 
say a few words. Several had 
spoken, when a splendid gentle- 
man, teacher in the Bulsar high- 
school, arose and said, " I have 
one thing to say. Those of us who 

tl have visited the missionaries know 

\ how they are now taking care of 

many poor famine children. Well, 
we have seen them care for these 
dirty children with such 
tenderness and earnestness 
that we were utterly sur- 
prised. The lady sitting 
yonder, I have seen her 
handle those poor, sick and 
sore, starving children more 
affectionately than our own 
wives often handle our own 
children ! Children these 
■were that we would not 
iL' ■ want to touch with our feet ! 

Suffering lu.manity." \\'hat is tllC rcaSOU of all 




NEW INDIA. 303 

"He that has mercy on the poor, happy is he." — Prov. 14: 21. 

this? Gentlemen, I am here to say that there is 
something in these people's religion that we haven't 
got in any of our religions." At this, I suggested, 
" That, sir, is Christ." To which he replied, 
" Whether it is Christ or not, I am not ready to 
say, but this I know. There is something in it, and 
you folks have set us an example that we should 
be eager to follow. It is a good example. It is 
a good religion." 

Mahomedan influences are at work, and each 
year records its additions to the Mahomedan com- 
munity. If the masses are once turned to Mahom- 
edanism, it will be very much harder to win them 
to the truth of God. And it seems to me to be 
one of the hopeful signs of things, that Mahome- 
dan converts, those who in years past were them- 
selves Hindoos, have become not only permanent 
with the religion, but even part and parcel in the 
evangelizing agency of the same. This is proof 
positive to the doubtful, as to what is in the na- 
tive convert, as to sticking qualities. And how 
much more will these who are raw recruits to Chris- 
tianity now, when they have learned the ethical 
superiority of their new-found religion, and when 
these truths have become their precious inheritance, 
and when they can appreciate them to the full, how 
much more tenaciously will these hold to the Gos- 
pel, and become themselves the most effective 
preachers of it ! 

I have been asked by close-observing native gen- 
tlemen, this question : If the strength of Govern- 



304 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

■'I PI'S}' for power which none may bend." — RigA'cda 3: 62: 5. 

ment is sin in a divided people, why do you, favoring 
Government, try to have the people united in one 
religion? The three suppositions are true, but 
an essential feature of the conditions is omitted. 
The strength of Government does lie in a divided 
people, when those people are as the people of 
India to-day. But if they were as a whole, an en- 
lightened, truth-loving, united Christian people, it 
would be infinitely better for the people, and the 
Government would not suffer from the change. 
This is our answer to that question. 

One of the chief objections of a caste man to be- 
coming a Christian, is that his children would like- 
ly marry out of his caste. This very thing, speak- 
ing according to the laws of nature, would be bet- 
ter for the children. In Burma there are numer- 
ous Chinese. These come over without women, 
and in course of time, marr}^ Burmese. Their chil- 
dren inherit industry from both sides, and grow 
up models of thrift and strength, superior to other 
Burmese. Long-sighted men now say that the future 
of Burma lies in the hands of this class of people. 

One is not perhaps inclined to believe they want 
righteousness when he talks with some of these peo- 
ple about Christ the only hope, or when he looks 
upon them as they indulge freely in that which means 
their utter destruction ; but when we turn to their 
cradle hymns, and to some of the verses that wan- 
dering sadhus sing, and to the poetry they sometimes 
chant in moments of meditation, we are convinced 
that the vacant place is in their hearts which only 



New INDIA. 305 

"The carnal mind is enmity against God." — Rom. 8: 7. 

Christ the Lord, the Spotless One can fill. Among 
all their incarnations the Sinless One is not yet count- 
ed. It seems as if God had purposely kept this one 
avenue of return open to these millions of idolaters, 
that they might yet be redeemed. 

There are several Somajes or societies of recent 
years, organized with the avowed purpose of return- 
ing to the pure of the Hindoo religion. One of these 
societies, the Arya Somaj, now numbers 67,000 fol- 
lowers. It was founded but twenty-five years ago. 
They do away with idolatry and some other of the 
more senseless Hindoo superstitions, but they can not 
get away from caste. They claim to believe in Christ, 
as well as Buddha, Mahomed, and all the sages that 
ever lived in Hindooism. Their creed is confessedly 
to follow all, and to accept the good from all the 
religious leaders that ever lived ! 

Every now and then there seems to be a revival 
of Hindooism. That is, in the Hindoo press such 
a revival is much talked of. I think from what I 
have seen and heard, though, that all these so-called 
revivals have as their one cause the activity of the 
missionaries, and as their one motive, to offset the 
constantly increasing tendency of the people to look 
to Christianity as the religion having the most of 
life and truth. It is not for the spiritual welfare of 
the people they care; they don't want them to become 
Christians. 

There is a certain amount of prejudice against 
Christianity, which is enshrouded in ignorance, that 
must surely die out as the people become more and 



306 INDIA ; A TROBLEM. 

" O Fever, yielding to our prayer, avoid us." — Atharva-Veda i : 25 : 3. 

more familiar with the Truth as it is in the Lord. 
Both prejudice and ignorance can not continue, when 
some of the best of men, non-Christians, are avowed 
Bible readers. When Hindoo professors in colleges 
publicly advise their students to read the Bible for 
the best ethical code extant, and for the purest lit- 
erature, and simplest style of excellent English ; when 
this is true, as it occasionally is, there are silent in- 
fluences at work, the extent of which no one can tell. 

When the vast multitudes come to know, as know 
they will, what the religion of Jesus has done for 
others, there are not a few who will see clearly that 
the same religion will do the same things for them. 

They do not know the story of King Khama, the 
African leader of his people ; how his father drove 
the missionaries away, and how he would have shot 
his son when he became a Christian and would not 
according to the traditions of the tribe take two wives 
at a time. Then the heathen father was disarmed, 
and when restored to power, Khama insisted that 
he should give his subjects complete liberty of con- 
science. Three times was Khama driven to the wilds, 
and three times hunted down by friends, and brought 
back more popular than ever with his father's people. 
When the old chief died, Khama became king. His 
first act was to proclaim absolute freedom of con- 
science to all. Then he set about to end the liquor 
trafiic. That was twenty-five years ago. Now exist 
schools with their own paid native teachers, churches, 
and pleasant little homes, and absolute honesty and 
friendliness all over this little African kingdom. A 



NEW INDIA. 307 

" The secret of the Lord is with them that fear Him." — Psalms 25 : 14. 

party of travelers camping out, is told by the attend- 
ing police some day, " You need not watch the wag- 
ons now ; we crossed into Khama's country last night." 

They do not know the story of the Gospel to the 
cannibal Fiji Islands, how that the first work of the 
missionary there was to bury skulls that remained 
from a recent cannibal feast: how that the people 
accepted the truth, and after fifty years, out of a pop- 
ulation of 110,000 there are 104,000 regular attend- 
ants at public worship in the 1,300 churches: and 
that in nearly every home they have daily family 
prayers! Last year these gave $25,000 to carrv the 
Gospel to others ! 

There are not a few who speak of the progress of 
Japan, but these do not know that all over the little 
Japanese Empire, it is common to preface any remark 
about the modern progress they now enjoy, with the 
expression, " When Commodore Perry sailed up the 
Bay of Yeddo." They do not know that the Com- 
modore had the open Bible lying on the capstan of 
his ship and read the one hundredth psalm as he sailed 
into the harbor. And they do not know that even 
now there are 129,000 native Christians in Japan and 
these stand side by side with others in the highest 
offices in the government. 

When they come to know these things, as well as 
how the Gospel has elevated whole sections of their 
own country, there must be a greater regard for 
the power that does the work. Those who in their 
pride laugh at the up-lift the Gospel gives to the 
lowly, do not laugh at the progress of the Japanese. 



308 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

"Thunder and roar: the germ of life deposit." — Rig- Veda 5: 83: 7. 

Sometimes we hear the expression, " In the days when 
India was prosperous." It is hke an old man with 
a sad heart saying, " When I was a boy," as he re- 
mains bHnd to all the superior conditions around him. 

An English gentleman, of the Civil Service in 
Burma, seeing the progress of Christianity among 
the Karens day by day, has said : " Once a village has 
embraced Christianity, it feels itself as head and shoul- 
ders above its neighbors, and all the energies of the 
people are at once employed in making their village 
worthy of the name. No labor, no expenses are 
spared. The Christian village must be clean, healthy, 
neat ; it must have the best school and the best church 
they can afiford. Money aid from the missionaries 
is not sought ; the people do it all themselves — plan, 
contrive and carry out. Their children must be well 
dressed and educated, intelHgent and industrious in 
their calling, better tillers of the soil, better hunters, 
better foresters than their fathers, because they are 
now animated by a new spirit, fired with a new zeal, 
and their wits are sharpened by education. The com- 
ing of Christianity has honored their national tra- 
ditions. A new life opens out to them — a new career 
for which their forefathers had sighed in the ages 
of hardship and oppression and slavery." 

Educated Hindoos recognize what is going on, and 
often speak out on the subject. Khimji Kayani has 
recently forwarded a memorial to the Gaekwar of 
Baroda concerning the sale and early marriage of 
little girls, in which he says : " Corruption is rising to 
its extreme, and has overstepped the bounds of mo- 



NEW INDIA. 309 

"He that despiceth hii neighbor sinneth."— Prov. 14: 21. 

rality. Sins reproduce sins, immorality and degen- 
eration reign throughout in such communities, no al- 
ternative left, no redress given, nature must predom- 
inate. . . . Cases of infanticide are so numerous 
in such communities, that if careful and stringent en- 
quiry were to be made, the result would be most hor- 
rible and terrible." 

The Indian Social Reformer, commenting on the 
same said : " If a law against bad marriage customs 
is conscientiously carried out nearly one-half of the 
population will have to be provided with jail accom- 
modation at the expense of the other half." 

The Hindoo, a Madras paper, speaking of the Chris- 
tians, has said, " Some of their women are highly 
educated, and this fact, coupled with the other, name- 
ly, that they have no caste restrictions, gives them 
an advantage which is not possessed by the Hindoos." 

Jacob Chamberlain quotes a Brahmin editor as say- 
ing : " We entertain no more any hope for that re- 
ligion which we consider dearer than our life. Hin- 
duism is now on its deathbed and unfortunately there 
is no drug which can safely be administered to it 
for its recovery. There are native Christians nowa- 
days who have declared a terrible crusade against the 
entire fabric of Hinduism, and many men of splendid 
education are also coming forth, even from our own 
community, who have already expressed a desire to 
accept Christianity, and should these gentlemen really 
become first Christians and then its preachers, they 
will give the last deathblow to Mother Hinduism." 
Another prominent Hindoo has pathetically said, in 



3IO 



INDIA ; A PROBLEil. 



"The existant's kinship in the non-existant." — RigA'eda lo: izg: 4. 

addressing his countrymen on the subject of Hindoo- 
ism. " Now the ship is old. She is riddled with holes 
and is in danger of sinking. We are on board. . . 
I sit down here beside you. We are sinking, but we 
will sink together." 

Such extracts might be indefinitely continued. If 




TTistnric ruin 



ccaying temples." 



one should judge from the historic ruins of decaying 
temples he might tliink Hindooism was on its death- 
bed, but it is not dead yet. It has been aptly said 
that " the chiefest duty of a patriotic Hindoo is to 
sit still." And he generally prefers to live up to his 
duty thus expressed. 

The indifiference of the masses is everywhere man- 
ifest. Thev confess faith in one thing, and continue 



NEW INDIA. 311 

"Charity suffereth Icng, and is kind." — i Cor. 13: 4. 

Steadfastly in another. A good man will offer a 
prayer to God, and then declare he does not know if 
there be a God. Shunker Pandurang presided at a 
prayer-meeting of the Prarthna Somaj, a Hindoo 
reform society, and there, with clasped hands and 
closed eyes, he offered a prayer as the Christians do. 
Soon after, he declared that all we know of God is 
that we know nothing ! 

On the other hand men of conscientious scruples, 
all over the land are turning to Christ. Not large 
numbers of Mahomedans have yet come, but there are 
more Mahomedan converts than is generally believed. 
Imad-ud-din, who was a descendant of the ancient 
royal house oi Persia, a priest of high standing, and 
a most bitter enemy to Christianity, when he himself 
saw that it contained the Truth of God, like Paul, 
he turned and spent the remainder of his life in build- 
ing up what he had once fought so fiercely. He said 
that he had counted over a hundred prominent Ma- 
homedans who had accepted the Christ, not to mention 
the common people among them. 

But while we look at the task among Mahomedans 
as peculiarly a difficult one, the Mahomedans them- 
selves sometimes take a different view of the effect 
of Christian work among them. The Nawab of Hai- 
derabad, Mushin-ul-Mulk says, " To me it seems that 
as a nation and a religion we are dying out. . . . 
Unless a miracle of reform occurs we Mahomedans 
are doomed to extinction, and we shall have deserved 
our fate. For God's sake let the reform take place 
before it is too late." The Nawab is of the old school. 



312 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

"Loose us from sins committed by our fathers." — Rig- Veda 7: 86: 5. 

On the other hand there are those who look for- 
ward to the time when the government shall again 
be in the hands of the Mahomedans. During the last 
ten years, according to the late census reports, the 
number of Mahomedans increased from 57,321,000 to 
62,458,000. This is an increase of nine per cent, chief- 
ly by birth perhaps, but somewhat by converts added. 

It is interesting to note that of the converts from 
IMahomedanism, there are few who are not enlight- 
ened men. These come fromi genuine conviction. 
Imad-ud-din, who wrote nearly two hundred tracts 
and books which have become a valuable heritage to 
the Indian Church describes his own conversion as 
follows : " ^^'hen I had read as far as the seventh 
chapter of Matthew, doubts fixed themselves upon my 
mind respecting the truth of Mahomedanism. I be- 
came so agitated that I spent whole days, and often 
also whole nights, in reading and considering the 
books ; and I began to speak about them, both with 
missionaries and JMahomedans. Within a year I had 
investigated the whole matter, chiefly at nights; airl 
I discovered that the religion of Mahomed is not of 
God, and that the Mahomedans have been deceived, 
and are lying in error ; and that salvation is assuredly 
to be found in the Christian religion." 

Such men as Imad-ud-din, Jani AH, Zahur ul Haqq, 
Safder Ali, and many others of equal intelligence are 
only the forenmners of a great host. When a Ma- 
homedan is won to Christ, he is at once a missionary 
of the Gospel, coming as he does from a missionary 
religion. Christian Borup tells of a time when he 



NEW INDIA. 313 

" The peace of God, which passeth all understanding." — Phil. 4: 7. 

was preaching near Viramg-am, when a Mahomedan 
asked who was Abba Miah. Not long- after the same 
man Abba Miah came to see him. He says, " When 
I got outside, there stood an old but beautiful looking 
man with gray hairs and a long white beard, just 
like we see the INIahomedan Boras of the better classes 
in India. I invited him in, and that was the begin- 
ning of friendship with one of the most remarkable 
Christian characters it has ever been my good fortune 
to meet. He had been converted about thirty-two 
years before, and at the time of his conversion was 
an officer in a native state, receiving about 250 rupees 
a month. He lost that, his parents disowned him and 
disinherited him. His caste people did all they could 
to turn him back. They threatened him, and begged 
him, and plead with him, and made him great prom- 
ises of higher positions and worldly glory, but when 
their threatening, pleading, begging, and bribing had 
no effect, they assaulted him and tried to kill him. 
Soon after his conversion he began to preach the 
Gospel vvdthout money and without pay. He would 
take his little bedding and a few cooking utensils on 
his back, and walk from town to town, and from vil- 
lage to village, preaching the unsearchable riches of 
Christ. He went to all classes, and when they drove 
him out of one city he went to the next one, never 
doubting. I believe he has had hundreds of converts. 
" I asked him to remain and help me in the work 
in my district. He refused saying, ' Bhai Sahib, peo- 
ple have never been able to throw it in my face that 
I have become a Christian for the money I could get, 



314 INDIA; A PROBLEM. 

" ^^'hen may I calmly look and find him gracious? " — Rig- Veda 7: 86: 2. 

and I cannot give them a chance to say so about me 
now that I am old.' And for the same reason he 
would never stay with any missionary. He was a 
wonderful Bible student, a fearless and remarkable 
preacher. I have seen and heard him again and again 
preach Christ the Son of God, to large crowds of Ma- 
homedans, and they could not withstand the power 
with which he spoke. He died as he had lived, heart 
and soul in the work. Honor to such men ! I shall 
be glad to shake him by the hand again, when we 
shall join the blood-washed throng around the great 
white throne." 

From the common people of the Hindoos the bulk 
of native Christians is gathered. From among Gu- 
jerati Dherds, who are weavers, and from among 
Teluga pariahs, who are also out-castes, many thou- 
sands have become Christians. But when we speak 
of per cent, I am informed that the ratio from the 
Brahmins is higher than from the low castes. This 
is easily seen, because the low castes are so numerous. 
Only this year in Madras Audinarayana lyah, a splen- 
did gentleman, became a Christian, and on doing so 
made a somewhat remarkable address, from which 
I shall quote in part. " I am not prepared to make 
a long speech, but I feel it my duty to say something 
about the steps that have led me to search the truth 
according to my own light, which consummated in 
being admitted this morning into the Christian fold 
along with my wife and children. I belong to one 
of the most orthodox and oldest Brahmin families in 
Southern India, and so also does my wife. From 



3i6 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Drink pure sweet water at goodly drinking places." — Rig- Veda 7: 28: 7. 

an early age I have been of a religious turn of mind, 
and from my twelfth year I have taken the deepest 
aversion to idolatry. 

" I dearly love my country ; my patriotism is as deep 

and as enthusiastic as 
that of any of my 
countrymen, and this 
rupture from Hindoo 
society is not efifect- 
ed without the deep- 
est struggle and the 
most anxious 
thought. ... I do 
not wish to hurt the 
feelings of my Hin- 
doo brethren, but I 
must give expression 
to my most honest 
convictions. A careful study of Hindoo society has 
left me with one and only one impression, and that 

is there is something rad- 

ically wrong in it, and that 
the want of moral power. . 
. . Christianity has been 
the greatest factor in the 
progress of Western na- 
tions. . . . I do not be- 
lieve in the intrinsic inca- 
pacity of tropical nations 
for social progress, but I do 
believe in the theory that so- 




" I dearl)' love my country." 




" Something radically wrong." 



NEW INDIA. 3 '7 

"The jtist shall live by faith." — Rom. i: 17. 

cial and political progress depends upon the moral 
power at work in nations. I take no pride in ex- 
posing- the evils of Hindoo society, but no true patriot 
can shut his eyes to the existing evils. I would beg 
of my countrymen to be honest in their convictions, 
and not be blinded by a false patriotism. . . . 

" I have been an earnest reader of the Bible for 
years, and have found that the teachings it contains 
are of the greatest help to me in my every day life. 
Whenever I have any troubles I place them all be- 
fore Christ. In following Christ and accepting Him 
as Savior, I find that I have been given a new power 
to withstand temptations. It is not the Christ of 
history but the Christ of conscience that I have sought 
and found. ... I have never felt so happy at 
any period of my life as on this day, when I have 
had the privilege of openly confessing my faith in 
Christ; a faith, however, which had been mine for 
several years past." 

There is no question about it, but there are thou- 
sands upon thousands of secret believers, who for 
fear of social ostracism and for other causes, which 
to them seem plausible indeed, do not openly confess 
their faith, but who prayerfully wait for a time when 
they may avow their belief without having to pay so 
fearful a price. 

Scores of bright lights among Indian Christians 
might be named, each one filling an important place 
in the work and in the land. Nehemiah Goreh, who 
said he hoped the time would soon be here when 
the question would be whether a man was a child of 



3i8 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



"In thee, O Food, is set the spirit of great gods."— Rig- Veda i : 1S7: 6. 

God or a child of the world, rather than a question 
of caste; his daughter Ellen Lakshmi Goreh who 
wrote those beautiful lines: 

" In the secret of his presence 

How my soul delights to hide, 
O how precious are the lessons 

That I learn at Jesus' side. 
Earthly cares can never vex me, 

Neither trials lay me low; 
For when Satan comes to tempt me. 

To the secret place I go;" 

.,-' ' Lai Behari Dey, 

who was so strong 
in the controversy 
with the gifted 
leader of the Brah- 
mos, and who to- 
ward the close of 
life, being blind re- 
peatedly said, I shall 
not be blind in heav- 
en ; Dhanjibhoi Na- 
orosji, who refused 
a hundred thousand 
rupees offered if he 
would only turn 
back to his old reli- 
gion ; Ram Chandra 
Bose whose lectures 
on the Hindoo philosophy, delivered under the aus- 
pices of the Chicago University were so highly ap- 
preciated ; Baba Padmanji. who was pastor of a na- 




" Child of God. 



NEW INDIA. 



319 



"The carnal mind is enmity against God." — Rom. 8: 7. 

tive congregation for years, and who has composed 
nearly a hundred tracts and books in the Marathi lan- 
guage ; Kali Chern Banner] i, whose opinions are re- 
spected both by Government and people, by Chris- 
tians and non-Christians ; Kanwar Sir Harnam Singh, 
the Prince of Kaparthala, who was one of King Ed- 
ward's coronation guests, and who is president of the 
India Sunday School Union ; S. Pulney Andy, M. D., 
who is president of 
the Indian Chris- 
tian Association in 
Madras ; S. Sathi- 
anadan, who holds 
the chair of Philos- 
ophy in the Presi- 
d e n c y College, 
Madras, and is 
prominent in all 
aggressive Chris- 
tian work in 
Southern India ; 
Mrs. Sathianadan, 
who is author of 
the beautiful story 
Kamala; Mrs. So- 
rabji, whose 
school in Poona is 
flourishing to-day, 
and whose five 
daughters are all 
making their mark '- who holds the chair.' 




320 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



Thou art the healer of the broken bone. 




as 



All-.arvaA'eda 4: 12: i. 

workers ; Soon- 



" Author of Kamala." 

ing- that girls may be 
rescued from their 
sure fate ; S. A'. Kar- 
makar and Gurubai, 
his wife, he is a grad- 
uate of Yale college 
and she a doctor ; 
these are some of the 
thousands of the chil- 
dren of India, " of 
whom the world is not 
worth}" ! "' 

The bulk of the 
converts do come from 



derabai Powar, who 
was long connected 
with Pandita Rama- 
bai, but is now sep- 
arate and working 
much on the same 
line ; Lilivati Singh, 
who was richly 
praised by ex-presi- 
dent Harrison a few 
years ago ; Shorat 
Chuckerbutti, who in 
Allahabad is work- 



" Separate and working.' 



NEW INDIA. 



321 



"Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven." — Matt. 6: 20. 

the lowest classes in 
India, but the strength 
of it lies in the fact 
that as soon as a man 
becomes a Christian, 
he escapes from a dead 
religion, and his very- 
entrance into the 
Christian fold signi- 
fies the beginning of 
development, which 
continues as long as he 
lives. The strength 
of the work there can- 




" Lilivati Singh." 

not be counted by the 
names of leaders nor 
the number of follow- 
ers, though these are 
factors in the work. 
The strength lies, as 
has been stated before, 
in the fact that our re- 
ligion can take the 
dregs of Hindoo so- 
ciety, and develop 
them into godly men 




} 



S. V. Karmakar 



322 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" Desire, Ihe primal seed and germ of Spirit." — RigA'eda lo: T29: 4. 

and women, whom even proud Brahmins do not hesi- 
tate to praise. 

The census of 1901 has brought to hght a growth 
that it surprising to all. 

All India Hindoo ]\Ialiomedan Christian 
287,223,431 207.731,727 57.321,164 2,284,172 
294,362,676 207,075,000 62,458,000 2,923,349 

The growth of Chris- 
tianity has been about 
thirty per cent, while the 
increase of ]\Iahomedans 
has been nine per cent, 
and of the whole popu- 
lation it has been but 
seven per cent. As to 
the Hindoos, it is they 
who have suffered most 
from the famines, and 
the decrease in their to- 
tals is astonishing. Of 
this growth in the whole 
Christian total, the Mali- 
ratta, a typical orthodox 
Hindoo journal, says: 
" Christianity at any rate exists, and is a powerful 
entity which we have to count in considering the prob- 
lem of our national existence. For while on the one 
hand, Hindooism is making no converts from any other 
religion, Christianity is making slow but steady prog- 
ress in this countrv. and, on the other hand, the native 




Gurubai, his wife.' 



NEW INDIA. 



323 




" At any rate exists." 



"Always abounding in the work of the Lord." — i Cor. 15: 58. 

Christians are show- 
ing a greater rate of 
increase in multiply- 
ing themselves than 
either the Hindoos or 
the Mahomedans in 
this country. The 
latest census figures 
show that the number 
of native Christians 
in 1 90 1 is in excess by 
over half a million as 
compared with the 
same number in 1891. 
The increase has been 
in all the Provinces of India. When we consider that 
the total native Christian community in India is al- 
ready about seven per thousand of the whole Indian 
population, and thus not quite a negligible quantity, 
the rate of increase becomes a cause for anxiety." 

The Eurasian people being of 
mixed blood ought to be, and I 
think will be constantly more 
and more a factor in the con- 
version of India. Too often 
they fail tO' see their opportu- 
nity, but they are capable of pro- 
ducing very strong characters 
in the work, I think I never 
heard better preaching than 
The mother." that douc by Dcunis Osborne in 




324 INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 

" Beautiful \'ayu come, for thee these Somadrops have been prepared: 
Drink." — Rig-\'eda i: 2: i. 

Poona, previous to his death. And in Bulsar, one of 
our neighbor families is Eurasian, very kind and 
sympathetic. The mother was a saintly woman. 

These 2,923,349 Christians are according to nation- 
ality divided as follows : 

Europeans, 169.739 

Eurasians 89,251 

Indians, 2,664,359 

And with respect to denomination, they are classi- 
fied as follows : 

Roman Catholics, 1,202,339 

Syrians, : 571,32? 

Anglicans 453,6i2 

Baptists 220,863 

Lutherans, 220,000 

Methodists, 82,994 

Congregationalists, 48-197 

Presbyterians 47-704 

Others 76,313 

Total 2,923,349 

There is no longer a question as to whether Chris- 
tianity is making itself felt in India. Most people 
agree at the present time, most Christian people and 
many Hindoos and others, that India will some day 
be a Christian country. It is not a question whether 
this will be so, but when will it be? Some intelli- 
gent Hindoos are exceedingly outspoken on the sub- 
ject. A letter of a Brahmin, recently published in 
the Madras Moil, and quoted also in the C. ^I. S. 
report is a good specimen: "The Hindoo religion 



NEW INDIA. 



325 



"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper." — Prov. 28: 13. 

and the Hindoo social customs are responsible for the 
miserable state of the Hindoos. It is impossible for 
the Hindoos as Hindoos to change the social customs, 
most of the customs being based upon the Hindoo re- 
ligion. I have given the subject of social reform my 
very best thought and attention these twelve years. 
My conviction is that the liberal education of wom- 
en and the consequent happiness of the home is pos- 
sible only in the Christian community. It is Chris- 
tianity that permits the postponement of the marriage 
of girls. It is Christianity that allows widows to re- 
marry. It is Christianity that allows fallen women 
a chance of reclaiming themselves from evil ways. It 
is Christianity that allows you foreign travel. It is 

Christianity that teaches 
the dignity of labor. It 
is Christianity that gives 
free scope for women to 
receive complete educa- 
tion. It is Christianity 
that gives you salvation 
without laborious and 
multifarious ceremonies. 
If ever the Hindoos are 
to rise in the scale of na- 
tions, it must be by Chris- 
tianity, and Christianity 
only. Some of my Hin- 
doo brethren may say that 
agnosticism and atheism 
It is Christianity." may producc these 




re- 



326 



INDIA; A proble:m. 




May the wind blow upon our cows with heahng." — RigA'eda lo: 169: i. 

suits ; but I do not believe 
in tbat. iSIan cannot do 
without religion. Christi- 
anity is the most simple of 
all religions. Blessed shall 
be the day when all caste 
Hindoos throw up Hin- 
dooism and embrace Chris- 
tianity." 

Xot whether it will ever 
be a Christian country, but 
when. If we look at the 
history of Christianity in 
its relation to some other 
nations, we may learn a 
lesson. It was after 300 
years that Constantine became the first Christian em- 
peror of Rome, and from that time the government 
was said to be that of a Christian country. In Britain 
the Roman standard ruled from 55 B. C. to 410 A. D. 
In the year 303 Alban became the first British Chris- 
tian martyr. How well Christianity was then plant- 
ed there, must be judged by the fruits of after years. 
In those earlier years not a few Britons were can- 
nibals. The work in India has been carried on some- 
what vigorously by Protestant missionaries for now 
a hundred years. True, in the former part of the 
century it was only foundation work. Xow shall the 
work of regenerating India require two hundred years 
more? Shall it require perhaps one hundred years 
yet? Shall it be done in fift_\- years? 



" It is Christianity." 




NEW INDIA. 327 

" In God we boast all the day long and praise thy name forever."— 
Psalms 44: 8. 

Being a problem of time, it de- 
pends upon Christians for solution. 
The greater the diligence ap- 
plied to the work, the less the 
time required. Who is re- 
sponsible? How long shall 
it be? The future is in our 
hands. 

John Wanamaker last year 
visited India, and when he 
came back he made several « ^ problem of time." 

striking speeches on what he 

saw over there. He says : " As a result of my recent 
visit to India, I reached some conclusions that I would 
like to abbreviate sufficiently to form a telegram to 
every hard-headed business man, the non-professing 
Christian, who may be a generous-hearted giver for 
education; the earnest, praying Christian man and 
woman, eager to do the most that can be done with 
money," and to every thoughtful college student and 
Sunday-school scholar. 

•' First. While the British government, from In- 
dia's tax funds, assists India's schools, colleges, and 
hospitals, I found the largest proportion of humani- 
tarian rehgious work going on there traceable to the 
Christian religion. 

•'■ Second. Of all the Christian missionaries sent 
out from other lands, that I saw, or by inquiry learned 
anything about, I discovered only one person who had 
given up Christ for the ancient Hindu or Mahom- 



328 INDIA; A PROBLE:\r. 

"Make me immortal in that land." — RigA'eda 9: 113: 7. 

edan religion. These old, much revered native re- 
ligions are not able to win headway with the believers 
in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

" Third. By personal contact with the work and 
workers, I convinced myself that the work of mis- 
sionaries, clergymen, teachers, doctors, and Christian 
helpers was healthy, eminently practicable, and well 
administered. 

" Fourth. In its business administration it is quite 
as economically done as any business firm could es- 
tablish and support business extensions permanently 
and successfully in lands far distant from home, cli- 
mate and custom requiring different modes of living. 
No private business man, in my judgment, can admin- 
ister from the United States properties and finances 
in India more effectively for less, as a rule, than the 
Board is administering them at this time. 

" Fifth. It is an unjust aspersion on the church 
and its heroic men and women for any person to say 
that, because the customs of the country oblige mis- 
sionaries, if they are to maintain the influences with 
the people, to employ servants and live in houses com- 
mon to hot climates, such as are used by other pri- 
vate families, therefore they live in luxury, idleness, 
or extravagance, ^^'hile I saw homes of Christian 
workers in large cities bought, from thirty to fifty 
years ago, for small sums, now worth much more 
than they cost, which is to the credit and wisdom 
of the fathers and brethren of the Alissionary Board, 
I failed to find any extravagant buildings in use by 
missionaries or others in the service of the Board. 



NEW INDIA. 329 

"My soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty land." — Psalms 143: 6. 

I personally saw while there two spacious, one-floored, 
high-ceiled, large-porched, rough-cast bungalows, sim- 
ilar to all that are there, with ten acres of ground 
and fine old trees, in the heart of the city of Allaha- 
bad, sold for 12,000 rupees — a little less than $4,000. 
This fact is reliable information on the real estate 
values ; and as to the servants, they board themselves, 
coming in the morning and going off in the night 
for the pay of ten or twelve rupees a month, which 
on an average is $3.63 a month for house servants. 
It is impossible to find anywhere in the world simpler 
and more consistent home living than at the homes 
and tables of the mission houses. 

" In all my life I never saw such opportunity for 
investment of money that any one sets apart to give 
to the Christ who gave Himself for us. As I looked 
at the little churches, schools, and hospitals, and in- 
quired the original cost of buildings and expense of 
administration, I felt a lump of regret in my heart 
that I had not been wise enough tO' make these in- 
vestments myself — yet there are others left. I appro- 
priated some that you cannot have, and wished a 
hundred times I had known twenty-five years ago 
what I learned a half year ago ; but I can take you 
to many as good, if you will." 

Fifty years ago the work in India was scarcely more 
than a drop in the bucket, but now, while it is yet 
small compared to the millions of Hindoos, it has en- 
tered like a wedge into the very center of all the 
darkness, and will, by the grace of God, continue to 
increase till light is scattered everywhere. 



330 



INDIA ; A PROBLEM. 



" He must not step over a rope to which a calf is tied." — Inst, of 
Vishnu 63 : 42. 

We may well look upon India as an important fac- 
tor in the conversion of Asia. It is the key to the 




" Drop in the bucket." 



Entered like a wedge." 



situation, ^^'ith its enlightenment and education, with 
its stable Government, and freedom of the press, when 




" Its comparative size 



and population."' 



once India shall 1)e won to Christ, the problem in 
the East will have been well nigh solved. Its com- 



NEW IXBIA. 



331 



" Teach me thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain patli." — • 
Psalms 2- : 11. 

parative size and population would indicate the same, 
but the tendency of the people to talk religion, and 
the natural inclination of man}^ of them to travel for 
commercial or other purposes, go farther to indicate 
the fact that it is the strategic point in the missions 
of the East. On its historic shores will be fought out 
the peaceful battle, which will decide the religion of 
millions of people for ages to come, if the Lord tarr}^ 
We must work. Now is the time. Bishop AA'ell- 
don in his memorable speech when he said, " When- 
ever the native of India is converted to Christianity, 
there is made or won a loyal subject to the crown," 
said also, " There is no alternative before the coun- 
try except Christianity or Atheism. It is in Chris- 
tianity that the East and AVest are most likely to find 
their meeting 
ground. The sym- 
pathy of Chris- 
tians for the peo- 
ple of India, part- 
ed as they are 
from them by race, 
by religion, by col- 
or, by habit, is an 
impressive fact 
which the natives 
of India are begin- 
ning to understand 
as the fruit of the 

Christian faith." « in Christianity, 




332 INDIA ; A PROBLEM 

" I invoke the earth made by Ahura, the water made by Mazda, the holy 
trees." — Zend Avesta 19: 114. 

It is most significant that such a movement as that 
of Chet Ram in the Punjab is at all possible. Chet 
Ram when a young man seems to have fallen into 
the company of a INIahomedan fakir, who was pos- 
sessed of a copy of the Gospels. The Mahomedan 
believed in the story, and Chet Ram eagerly heard it 
of him. Then he started a movement accordingly, 
which already has its thousands of followers. These 
people see no necessity for water baptism, they always 
carry a New Testament somewhere near the heart 
whether they can read or not, many of them have a 
cross and a flag over their shop-door, if they are shop- 
keepers, and daily preach once at some public place. 
Their creeds the}^ sum up in these words : " Jesus 
son of JMary ; the Holy Ghost ; Prayer to God ; Read- 
ing the Bible and the Gospels for the sake of sal- 
vation ; Followers of Chet Ram." 

It is most significant that in much the same way 
a man who had never seen a missionary nor yet a 
native Christian, should also have come into posses- 
sion of a wandering copy of the Gospels. He read 
and pondered the story, and to him it became the 
sweetest thing of his life and experience. He adopt- 
ed all he could of its teachings, believing they would 
do him good. When he read of baptism, it was a 
strange word to him, but he guessed the meaning 
from the context, and applied it to his life regular- 
Iv. Wlicn he went for his morning bath, he would 



NEW INDIA. 333 

" For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." 
— Rom. 8: 14. 

say, " Now I am baptized intO' the name of the Fa- 
ther," and plunge in. Then " And into the name 
of the Son," and plunge in again. Then "And in- 
to the name of the Holy Ghost," and plunge into 
the water again. This he did daily. And when 
he came to take his meals, he would say as he broke 
the bread and began to eat, " I break this bread 
in remembrance of Him," and when he partook of 
water at any tim^e to drink, he would say, " I drink 
this cup in remembrance of Him." 

It is most significant that in the south part of In- 
dia, where Brahminism is deepest rooted a certain 
Brahmin gentleman should regularly read the Bible 
every day, and call his family together in the morn- 
ing and in the evening, and twice daily have family 
prayers before them. How fascinating are these facts. 
How clearly they show us what is in the minds of 
honest Hindoos. What remorse of conscience such 
incidents as these must bring to careless and negli- 
gent, though otherwise good people at home ! And 
shall honest seekers after God go groping forever 
in the dark? Shall those who have light not share 
it with those perhaps who think they have it, though 
having it not? Can a happy man know of the sor- 
rows of others without lending a helping hand ? Does 
having much truth tend to make men and women 
much selfish? Will they thank God that they have 
so much more than others have, and yet not share 



334 INDIA ; A proble:m. 

" He is esteemed highest who thinketh alike about friends, enemies, stran- 
gers and foreigners." — lihagavad Gita 6: 9. 

their great blessings with their less fortunate broth- 
ers and sisters? 

I assume to speak for tens of thousands of God's 
own dear children, and for them I dare say that 
ambassadors of the Truth Eternal shall not be want- 
ing, ambassadors who are gladly willing to go any- 
where and be anything in order that the children of 
men may become the children of God throughout 
the earth, these shall not be wanting while the world 
stands ! And neither shall there be wanting tens 
of thousands of ever-ready, ever-consecrated dear 
children of the Heavenly Father, who are awake to 
all good, who in plenty or in poverty shall continue 
in the work for others with all the ability He has 
given them, and who pray for others with fervor 
and power daily before the throne, — tens of thou- 
sands of such shall not be wanting while there yet 
breathes an unregenerate soul in whom the Lord 
intended His image and nature should be! Of this 
there can be no doubt. 

India will not rejoice alone when her day of re- 
demption comes. The hearts of the redeemed, of " the 
whole family in heaven and earth," will beat in 
joyous unison when the sun of righteousness, whose 
dawn has already surely come, has risen in the East- 
ern sky. India herself will be the most happy in 
the change, and those who like Paul resisted most 
l)ittcrl\- the advance of saving truth will be the most 



NEW INDIA. 



335 



"Thy kingdom come." — Matt. 6: lo. 

ardent in its advocacy when once their spiritual eyes 
are also opened. And he who helps to hasten that 
glad time, who is not only pure and good himself, 
but who makes it possible for many others to be pure 
and good, blessed is that man. 




C3-LOSS-A.I^ir. 



Alia, — Arabic word for God. . 

Baboo, — a term applied to a native of Bengal, a gentleman. | 

Babul, — a common tree of India, with long thorns. I 

Baiy — a sister or cousin. \ 

Banyan, — largest tree in India, an evergreen tree. j 

Bengali, — a native of Bengal. i 

Bhai, — a brother or cousin. ', 

Bungalow, — a dwelling house. 

Christi, — a Christian. 

CoUectorate, — several counties presided over by a Collector. 1 

Compound, — a yard or enclosure. \ 

Dahl, — a pulse. There are many kinds of dahl. Small grain. 

Dastoor, — a Parsee priest, called also Mobed. 

Derzi, — a tailor. 

Dherd, — a caste of Gujerati outcastes. 

Dhoon, — one form of idol worship. It is a Gujerati word. 

Eurasian, — mixed blood of Europe and Asia. 

Guru, — a teacher of religion among Hindoos. 

Jao, — go, begone. 

Koran, — ^the sacred book of the Mahomedans. 

Kumbar, — a potter. < 

Musselman, — a Mahomedan, follower of Mahomed. I 

Nisam, — the ruler of a large native state in South India. \ 

Peepul, — a large tree, sacred to the Hindoos. 

Purda, — a curtain. Purda women are those, literally, behind a curtain, 

i. e., kept in seclusion. 
Rupee, — sixteen annas, the current coin of India, worth about 33 cents. 
Sadliu, — a religious mendicant. 
Sahib, — Sir or Mister. 

Sahibji, — a term of greeting at any time, salaam. 
Salaam. — a term of greeting all over the East. 
Suttee, — the ancient custom of widow-burning. 
Talao. — a tank, or reservoir, commonly for irrigation. 
Taluka, — nearly equivalent to county. 
Zenana, — a house in which purda women live. 
Zend-Avesta, — the sacred book of the Parsees. 



/^:pi^ei<tidt2C j^. 



Cities of over 


Po/'. 


Pop. 


Mission- 


Sunday 




100,000 each. 


1S91. 


1901. 


aries. 


Schools. 


Missions^ 


1. Calcutta, 


741,144 


844,604 


ISO 


38 


13 


2. Bombay, 


821,764 


770,843 


75 


II 


II 


3. Madras, 


452,518 


509,397 


76 


45 


II 


4. Hyderabad, 


415,039 




6 


37 


3 


5. Lucknow, 


273,02s 


263,951 


16 


8 


3 


6. Benares, 


219,467 


203,095 


14 


8 


5 


7. Delhi, 


192,579 


208,385 


31 


10 


3 


8. Mandalay, 


188,815 


182,498 


7 


4 


I 


9. Cavvnpur, 


188,712 


197,000 


10 


76 


2 


10. Bangalore, 


180,366 


159,030 


24 


9 


5 


II. Rangoon, 


180,324 


232,326 


38 


II 


3 


12. Lahore, 


176,854 


120,058 


22 


13 


3 


13. Allahabad, 


175,246 


175,748 


23 


57 


3 


14. Agra, 


168,662 


188,300 


28 


10 


3 


15. Patna, 


165,19-2 


135,172 


2 


? 


I 


16. Poena, 


161,390 


111,385 


80 


? 


8 


17. Jaipur, 


158,905 


159,550 


3 


? 


I 


18. Ahmadabad, 


148,412 


180,673 


14 


5 


5 


19. Amritsyr, 


136,766 


162,548 


25 


3 


I 


20. Bareilly, 


121,039 


117,433 


6 


80 


2 


21. Meerut, 


119,390 


1 18,642 


14 


27 


2 


22. Srinagar, 


1 18,960 


122,536 


12 


1 


I 


23. Nagpore, 


117,014 


124,599 


16 


2 


3 


24. Baroda, 


116,420 


103,782 


6 


10 


I 


25. Surat, 


109,229 


118,364 


5 


2 


I 


26. Karachi, 


105,199 


105,407 


8 


? 


2 


27. Gwalior, 


104,083 


104,083 


? 


p 


? /■> 



.^iF'iFEisrnDi^^ B. 



ALLIANCE MISSIONS. 

American Missionary Alliance, 
Australian, Poona and Village M., 
Scandinavian Alliance, 



.VtJi 


Women 


Women 


Totals 


^3 


20 


iS 


6l 




5 


31 


63 


G 


6 


8 


20 



BAPTIST MISSIONS. 

American Baptist Missionary Union, 

Baptist Missionary Society, English, 

Canadian Baptists, 

Christian, Disciples, 

Australian Baptists, 

Free Baptists, 

Others, 



6i 


2S5 


53 


199 


17 


57 


.21 


49 


M 


30 


7 


-4 


I 


14 



CONGREGATIONAL MISSIONS. 

London Missionary Society, 
American Board C. for F. M., 



166 
S6 



CHURCH OF ENGLAND MISSIONS. 

Church Missionary Society, 
Society for Propagation of Gospel, 
Others, 



13 


14-^ 


Sg 


44 


35 


6 



246 



PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONS. 



Church of Scotland, 


26 


^4 


48 


98 


Free Church of Scotland, 


65 


4- 


56 


i6j 


Irish Presbyterians, 


18 


I J 


1; 


Ay 


Amei ican Presbyterians, 


5? 


48 


44 


1-44 


United P. of North America, 


iS 


J 1 


J 5 


6j 


Canadian Presbyterians, 


14 


7 


I 7 


3S 


Others, 


i8 


8 


5 


31 



METHODIST MISSIONS. 

American Methodists, 
Free Methodists, 
Welsh Calvinistic, 
Wesleyan Methodists, 



83 



64 



9 

38 

200 



APPENDIX B. 



339 



LUTHERAN MISSIONS. 

American Lutherans, 
Basle German Mission, 
German Evangelicals, 
Danish Lutherans, 
Swedish Lutherans, 
Arcot, American Reformed, 



i6 



Vnmm-ried 
Women 


Totctl 


1 1 


48 


5 


161 


9 


193 


2 


22 


ID 


41 


s 


26 



PEACE SOCIETIES. 

Friends, The, 
Brethren, The, 
Mennonites, The 



16 



MISCELLANEOUS. 

Adventists, 

Anglo-Indian Ev. Society, 

Central India Hill Mission, 

Ceylon and General Mission, 

Independents, 

Moravians, 

Salvation Army, 

Zenana Bible and Medical Mission, 

Others, 



Note. — The various woman's boards are all included in the above, 
as the third column of figures abundantly shows, except the " Church 
Missionary Society " includes the C. M. Zenana Society. 



s 




2C 


6 


5 


21 


4 


7 


20 


19 


23 


67 


10 


I 


21 


13 


30 


78 


2 


88 


90 


10 


35 


6S 



IISriDE^^ 



Abba Miah, 3i3- 
Abu Bekr, 8i. 

Adam and Eve, 153. 

Adam's Peak, 73. 

Adventist Mission, 280. 

Age of Consent, 123. 

Agnew, Eliza, 189. 

Agra Medical College, 231. 

Aiyaugar Krishnasawmy, 253. 

Alliance Mission, 279. 

American Board Missions, 186. 

American Baptist Mission, 176, 

202. 
Anderson, John, 253. 
Andy, S. Pulney, 319- 
Animal Hospitals, 77, 151. 
Anklesvar, 268. 
Arbitration Idea, 158. 
Arcot Mission, 251, 278. 
Area of India, 36. 
Arnold, Sir Edwin, 157. 
Arya Somaj, 305. 
Ascetics, 131. 
Attachment, 155. 
Audinarayana lyah, 314. 
Aziz-ud-din, 237. 

Baba Padmanji, 318. 
Banurji, S. N., 20. 
Baptism of 2,222, 209. 
Baptist Missions, 176, 202. 
Basle German Mission, 254. 
Bateman, Walter, 241. 
Bath Customs, 46. 
Bengal Presidency, 36, 175. 
Bhattie Customs, 124. 
Bhavnagiri, Sir M., 20. 
Bible Societies, 209, 224, 277. 
Birthday Customs, 58. 
Birth of Buddha, (>t. 
Birth of Mahomed, 80, 



Black Hole, 171. 
Bombay, 84. 
Bowen Church, 224. 
Brethren, 261. 
Buddhist Funeral, -/l. 
Bulsar, 263. 
Bungi, Story, 114. 
Burning of Dead, 160. 
Butler, Wm., 226. 

Calcutta, 169, 177. 

Canals, 26. 

Carey, William, 171, 177. 

Caste, 47, 1 01. 

Castes, Number of, in. 

Census of Calcutta, 174. 

Census, Religious, 324. 

Ceylon Mission, 189. 

Chamberlain, Jacob, 279, 309. 

Chandavarkar, Justice, 123. 

Charnock, Job, 169. 

Chet Ram, 332. 

Child Marriage, 120. 

Chinvat Bridge, 64. 

Christian Borup, 312. 

Christian Coll ge, 198, 250. 

Christian Patriot, 199. 

Christian Science, 146. 

Christians or Mahomcdans, 300. 

Christians Tell Lies too, 240. 

Christianity, Growth of, 322. 

Church of England Missions, 199, 

253- 
Church of Scotland Missions, 245. 
Cigarette Smoking, 45. 
City Growth, 39. 
Civil Service, 33. 
Clarkabad, 238. 
Clough, John E., 202. 
Cobra Worship, 140. 
Congregational Missions, 186. 



342 



INDEX. 



Conservative Parsees, 57. 
Crawford Market, 229. 

Daily Wage, 22. 
Day, Samuel, 202. 
Demonstration with Teacher, 147 
Density of Population, 36, n. 
Desire for God, 129. 
De Tocqueville, 128. 
Devotees, 131. 
Dhanjibhoi Naorosji, 318. 
Dhooning, 

Mahomedan, 92, 93. 

Hindoo, 142. 
Disciples' Mission, 280. 
Divorce, 83. 
Druidism, 297. 
Duff, Alex., 253. 
Duff College, 247. 

East India Company, 177. 
Ebey, A., 270. 
Eclipse Theories, 163. 
Eightfold Path, 69. 
Ellen Lakshmi Goreh, 318. 
England's Mistake, 20. 
Eurasians, 26, 324. 
Europeans, 26, 324. 

Famine Children, 190, 288, 302. 
Famine Work, 206, 264, 284. 
Farmer, Poor, zi- 
Fate, 51, 128. 
Fear in Worship, 140. 
Ferris Wheel, 138. 
Festivals, Hindoo, 129. 
Fiji Islands, 307. 
Flowers, Love of, 157. 
Folklore Story, 159. 
Forney, D. L., 266, 269. 
Friends' Missions, 261. 
Fuller, Mrs. M. B., 295. 
Funerals, 

Buddhist, 73. 

Hindoo, 128, 160, 162. 

Mahomedan, 95. 

Parsee, 65. 



Gabriel, 97. 
Gautama, 67. 
Geography of 

Mahomedans, 91. 

Hindoos, 163. 
Goanese, 223. 
Golden Son, My, 194. 
Grand Old Man, 54. 
Great Renunciation, 68. 
Gujerati Letter, 158. 

Hand-mills, 46. 
Happiness Defined, 148. 
Hasan Raza Khan, 228. 
Hindrance to Christianity, 34. 
Hislop College, 247. 
History in Tableau, 21. 
Hospital Work, 193. 
Hospital, J. J., 22Z. 

Idea of God, 

Hindoo, 154. 

Mahomedan, 90, 91. 
Idolatry, 136. 
Idolatry Waning, 249. 
Imad-ud-din, 237, 311, 312. 
Imam Shah, 238. 
Incarnations, 154. 
Independent Missions, 281. 
Industrial Work, 258. 

Jains, 76. 

Japanese Progress, 307. 

Jesuit College, 282. 

Jewelry, Love of, 116. 

Joel, 226. 

Jordan, 230. 

Judson, Adoniram, 170. 

Julia, 203, 205. 

Just as you believe, 155. 

Justice, English, 19. 

Kabir, 78. 

Kali, 43. 

Kali Chern Bannerji, 319. 

Kalima, 91. 

Kanwar Sir Harnani Singh, 319. 

Kaparthala, Prince of, 319. 



INDEX. 



343 



Karaka, D. F., ()2. 
Karen Converts, 184, 308. 
Karen Traditions, 180. 
Karmakar, S. V., 320. 
Khimji Kayani, 308. 
Khisty, B. Y., 225. 
Khisty, Mrs., 225. 
King Khama, 306. 
Ko Tha Byu, 180. 
Krishna, 124. 
Kumbar's story, 107. 

Lai Behari Dey, 318. 

Lambert, George, 261. 

Leper Mission, 278. 

Life, Sacred, 70, tj, 149. 

Lilivati Singh,' 320. 

Lime Purchase, 87. 

Literacy among Native Christians, 

19s. 
Lone Star Mission, 202. 
Lutheran Missions, 254, 279. 
Lying Hindoo, 156. 

Madras, 196. 
Madura Mission, 190. 
Mahadeo, 44. 

Mahomedan Converts, 303, 311. 
Mahomed's Wives, 81. 
Manoramabai, 214. 
McCann, S. N., 268. 
Medical Missions, 193, 276. 
Mennonites, 261. 
Merchandise Values, 21, 22. 
Methodist Missions, 226. 
Miller, D. L., 224, 264. 
Mody, M. H., 262. 
Monkey God, 43. 
Monks, Rules of, 70, 71. 
Moravian Missions, 281. 
Mosqvie, 89. 
Mozoomdar, 169. 
Mushin-ul-Mulk, 311. 

Nanak Saheb, 78. 
Naosari, 266. 
Naorosji, D., 54, 225. 
Nehemiah Goreh, 317. 



Nerbudda River, 268. 

Ongole Church, 209. 

Oracles, how they Work, 144. 

Page, Dr. W. B., 262. 
Pagodas, 75. 
Pan Chewing, 157. 
Paraclete, 96. 
Parsee Migration, 53. 
Perry, Commodore, 307. 
Persecution, 240. 
Plague, 219, 220. 
Policy of Faith, 236. 
Population, Density of, 37. 
Population per sq. mi., 36. 
Portuguese, 223. 
Postal Rates, 23. 
Post-offices, 21, 24. 
Prayers, 

Eight Days of, 142. 

For the Dead, 65. 

Of Christians, 90, 140. 

Of Mahomedans, 88. 

Of Parsees, 55, 56, 63. 
Prayer Wheel, 75. 
Presbyterian Missions, 245. 
Problem, The, 299, 327. 
Progress, 21. 
Progressive Parsees, 57. 
Purification Pill, 106. 
Pyr, 141, 283. 

Quinine, 24. 

Ramabai, Pundita, 211. 

Ramabai Societies, 215. 

Ram Chandra Bose, 318. 

Railroads, 24. 

Rainfall, 16. 

Ram Ram, 45, 131, 154. 

Ramzan, 94. 

Rcid Christian College, 231. 

Renchord, 266. 

Ressler, J. A., 262. 

Revenue, 18. 

Roads, 16. 

Roman Catholics, 190, 282. 



344 



INDEX. 



Rooster Sacrifice, 153. 
Rooster Story, zi. 

Sacred String, 59, 112. 

Sacrifices, 152. 

Salvation Army, 281. 

Sandal Wood, 65. 

Santhal Converts, 241. 

Sathianadan, Mrs., 319. 

Sathianadan, S., 319. 

Seekers after God, 131. 

Self-support, 184, 191, 199, 250. 

Separate from world, 132. 

Sliuyugh Story, 97. 

Shunker Pandurang, 311. 

Siddhartha, 67. 

Sikhs, 78. 

Smallpox Goddess, 140. 

Sneezing Superstitions, 62. 

Soldiers, 33. 

Sooboonagam Ammal, 201. 

Soonderabai Powar, 320. 

Sorabji, Mrs., 3:9. 

Spotless One, 153, 305. 

Stover, Emmert, 103. 

Stover Mfg. Co., 114. 

St. Thomas' Church, 196. 

Superstitions, 162. 

Sun '\\''orship, 45. 

Surat Collectorate, 17, 18, 36. 

Syrian Christians, 190, 242, 294. 

Tanks, 41, 42. 
Taxes, 16, 19. 



Teacher Wanted, 188. 
Telegraph, 24. 
Telugu Converts, 209, 314. 
Temples, Hindoo, 138. 
Tenth, the Lord's, z^z. 
Tooth of Buddha, 74. 
Towers of Silence, 65. 
Train Story, no. 
Transmigration, 160, 164. 
Transubstantiation, 64. 

Unarmed, India, n. 
Union on Similarities. 274. 
United Church, 251. 
N'anki River, 267. 
Milage " five," 158. 
Village Prayers, 211. 

AX'anamaker, John, 200, 327 
Wedding, Parsee, 60, 61. 
Welldon, Bishop, 331. 
Widow Remarriage, 126. 
Widowhood, a Curse, 127. 
Widows, ^2z, 217. 
Wilder, Robert P., 174. 
Wilson, John, 246, 253. 
Wilson College, 247. 
Worship from fear, 140. 

Y. M. C. A. 199, 278. 

Zenana Missions, 275. 
Zoroaster, 52. 



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